Mercury plummets in Nieu-Bethesda

NIEU-BETHESDA NEWS — An old stalwart of Nieu-Bethesda, Brigadier Chris Roberts, had an often told story of how the water in his toilet cistern had once frozen on a cold winter morning in Nieu-Bethesda.

There is a marked difference in altitude between Graaff-Reinet (756m above sea level) and Nieu-Bethesda (1284m above sea level), so when a cold front passes over the valley and subsequent clear night skies lead to massive radiation, temperatures in Nieu-Bethesda can plummet to way below zero.

Last week was a week just like this.

Residents awoke to no water in the taps due to frozen pipes, bird baths were transformed to miniature skating rinks for the robins and white eyes, and children delighted in standing on puddles frozen solid.

There were pipes that burst in ceilings causing havoc and fires were lit in hearths from early morning.

The Brewery recorded a temperature of -8.5°C while properties in Immelman Street dropped to -10°C. Yvonne McClaggan and Keith Stephenson on ‘Grootklip’ higher up in the Sneeuberg, recorded a low of -13°C!

Frosty mornings are a norm in the village, with temperatures dropping below zero on many winter mornings, and residents have to work hard gathering wood or buying fuel to warm their homes.

With mid-winter now a thing of the past, Nieu-Bethesdans surely look forward to the awakening of the deciduous trees to herald the oncoming of spring, but can be assured of those late frosts that put pay to many a hopeful garden!