El Niño 2026 has been given a name "Super" El Niño 2026. According to the 'National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration' - The US Department of Commerce - the definition of El Niño is "is the warm phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate phenomenon where sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean rise at least 0.5°C above average for several months, disrupting global weather patterns. It typically occurs every 2–7 years and lasts 9–12 months, though strong events can persist longer."
Well, we are heading into a "Super" El Niño and depending on what informational outlet you read specifically, where I live in Johannesburg, South Africa - the temperature is going to rise at least 3°, which puts heatwaves above 40° - up to 40% summer rainfall deficit - drought for maize, sunflowers and soybeans - higher evaporation, so shrinking dams and reservoirs. Because there will be less crops - there will be inflation. All this causes flash floods at the coast, so human suffering and damages beyond prediction.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not dooms-day-saying. Everything cycles in this world, the sun cycles with solar minimums - when sunspots and solar storms, they cycle darker and cooler - and their numbers rise during solar maximums. The jet stream cycles - 'rivers of wind', stronger in winter and weaker in summer. Seasonal cycles, water and life. We know these things, we accept them and as humans - the only beings that can really change our environment, we need to do and make things that will allow us to overcome or survive known factors that we investigate in this Info-Age. Well we have to - don't we. Its our thrive and drive, Fight or flight. If we know something or believe something to be true because we have seen it before, we have lived thru it before, we owe it to ourselves to be true, to be pro-active.
So here I am, someone who has lived behind a computer as a graphic designer, who has confidence in his ability to work with his hands and use common sense and logical thinking to build a rain harvesting system. Oh boy, here we go.
I am hoping to turn this into a couple of posts and also hoping that this environment that I am posting into will throw the odd piece of advice my way.
Joburg, South Africa is funny - it rains during summer. So you can count on 6 months of summer (rain) and six months of winter (sunny days). 1000 miles or 1600 km away on the southern tip of Africa or South Africa it rains in winter. Go figure. Anyway - I have basically got three months before the rains start up here in Gauteng to get my rain water harvesting system up and catching.
Writing about all of this is cathartic for me and helps lay out in a logical way the process I have embarked on. So please forgive any ramblings, this is my process.
I have two roofs, so am obviously only starting with one, probably because I have a space set out for where the water containers will go. Also I have just completed adding a gutter so have taken that into account for positioning everything.
I look forward to sharing some illustrations and pics, maybe a vid or two, of the process I am going thru. So far I have gathered the majority of things that will need. We are talking about 3 x 250 litre water tanks. 50 metres of 50mm HDPE pipe and all the fittings that I think I need. Obviously things change etc, so I realise all that. Also i apologise for metres/feet and litres/gallons. Will try put conversions. In my head, VERY roughly, ±3 feet to a metre and ±3 litres to a gallon.
I've got the wood for the tank stands, screws, bolts and now, on a serious note - the reason why this project needs to take shape.
