And So It Begins

The storms which threaten to blot out one of the most impressive sites of nature have begun in earnest.

Shanghai expects a full solar eclipse tomorrow morning, to begin in totality at 9:36 and last until 9:41. A total solar eclipse is a rare site to begin with, but this one will have the sun fully blocked from the earth for 5 minutes making it the longest eclipse in the entire 21st century. Shanghai saw its last solar eclipse in 1575, so the city has been waiting a long time for this portent of change.

But the portent will probably be obscured by serious thunderstorms. The storms have already started, hollering thunder and flashing lightning through the sky. The wind is blowing my chairs across the balcony and waving my laundry line. The hour-to-hour forecast shows 100% chance of rain from 4:00am until 7:30am, with the odds only dropping to 90% from 8-11am, the full time of the eclipse.

I've got tickets (free, thank goodness) to a brunch at the Hyatt on the Bund. The windows from the hotel will provide an unobstructed view of the Pudong skyline with the sun rising over it. It'll be perfect conditions for watching the moon move in front of the morning sun. Or it'll be a great place to watch a storm. Will post pictures either way, so you can share whatever I see of this historic and beautiful phenomenon.