Pressure mounts on weather-predicting rodent
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One groundhog’s reputation lies in the balance today as Ukraine’s usually reliable weather-predicting rodent, Tymek, has retired and his successor faces his first day under the spotlight.
The newcomer, Tymek II, predicts that spring will come early this year, but local weather forecasters disagree. In their opinion, southern Ukraine will not see spring until mid-March, with the rest of the country having to wait even longer, possibly until the beginning of April.
The US practice of Groundhog Day, made famous by the Billy Murray film of the same name, has become a Ukrainian tradition in the last few years.
Like his more famous counterpart, Punxsutawney Phil from Philadelphia – who saw his shadow yesterday, meaning six more weeks of winter in the US - Tymek is woken up on 2 February from his month-long slumber. The tradition states that if he cannot see his shadow, spring is on the way. If he can, then there will be six more weeks of winter.
This year, Tymek II woke up a week early, even though the temperature was down to -20C. Biologists, who look after the important woodchuck, say this is another argument supporting the early spring forecast.
But skeptical meteorologists point to the fact that Tymek II is young and just a rookie in the job.
Tymek I, who did the job for the past five years, was wrong only once. The much-revered rodent and member of the Biology Institute of Kharkov University even had his own cap and gown. The wise old weather forecaster’s retirement has put serious pressure on Tymek II’s young shoulders.
If he's wrong, it could cast a shadow over his future career as Ukraine’s annual weather forecaster. Now only time will tell.
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It would be far more interesting if this guy could see who will win the Presidential election in Ukraine. But maybe if he did know, he would stay underground forever.
