The first cicada has started chirping. Under the roadside trees, there are discarded cicada shells. A little further away, the morning glories are in full bloom on the same hedge. The end of the rainy season is near. While it varies from year to year, the average date for the rainy season to end in the Kinki region is around July 19th. Last year it was on July 23rd, but this year it seems to be advanced a little earlier than that. On the other hand, the news on TV has been reporting the damages caused by heavy rain in northern Kyushu for several days. It’s a devastating sight that makes you want to cover your eyes. It seems that natural disasters caused by climate change like this are increasing year by year. Without relying solely on past data, we need to take proactive measures as early as possible to avoid being struck by even greater disasters in the future. This is an era where a significant shift in consciousness is required.

1番ゼミが鳴きました。街路樹の下の生垣にはセミの抜け殻があります。少し離れた同じ生垣には朝顔が一面満開です。梅雨明けが間近です。年によっても変動がありますが、近畿での梅雨明けは平年で7月19日頃で、昨年は7月23日でしたが、今年はそれよりも少し早めに梅雨明けしそうです。一方、テレビでは連日、九州北部の豪雨による被害状況が報じられています。目を覆いたくなる様な惨状です。年々歳々、こうした気候変動による自然災害が増えてきている様です。過去のデータに頼る事なく、早め早めに対策を講じていかなければ、今後更なる大災害に見舞われないとも限りません。ここでも意識の大変革を求められる時代です。