Scorchio...

[SteveC]

We were working from home last week, but we're back to normal 3 days in the office this week.
As the office has air conditioning I'm not upset!
The only thing concerning me is the ride home. It's not far, but if the road surface starts to melt... 

Any suggestions?

[Mr Larrington]

I remember a fair bit of media concern in 2003.

The heatwave broke in France the night before PBP03 and I was very grateful. A 100km ride above 35 degrees the previous day completely wiped me out and I expected to become nocturnal to have a chance to get to the finish line. PBP03 was a lot of fun in normal temperatures.

The break reached southern Germany the weekend after PBP finished.  I've never seen rain like that anywhere, except possibly near Oklahoma City in 2016.

I don't remember the heatwave of 2003, but I do remember one more recently (last 5 years or so as it was at this address) where I was heading out for a ride to be back home by 7:30 and it was already hitting 30C. 

[…]

BTW I've been in hotter, in the Algerian desert, and the water was falling out of me as quickly as I could put it in, call it media hysteria if you like but it is not a scenario to dismiss out of hand.

In 2003 I left my car parked in the sun outside Miss von Brandenburg's gaff for an hour or so and then wondered why the aircon appeared to be struggling.  Until I saw the outside temperature display saying 35C.


P9020407 by Mr Larrington, on Flickr. Non-silly sign in DETH Valley in September 2014.  Two people died there from overheating in the preceding months.

[Jurek]

We were working from home last week, but we're back to normal 3 days in the office this week.
As the office has air conditioning I'm not upset!
The only thing concerning me is the ride home. It's not far, but if the road surface starts to melt... 

Any suggestions?

When I last commuted by bike (~28 mile round trip) Going in at 06:00 was great.
Returning home at 15:00 was un-fucking-bearable.

[Mr Larrington]

Ob-xkcd:

[ElyDave]

There is an annual 105 miler iirc, ultramarathon through DETH Valley, running on the white lines prevents your soul soles melting apparently

[Mr Larrington]

There used to be the Furnace Creek 508 too.  Even in October DETH Valley can be pretty warm, though the descent of Towne Pass (~1500 m ASL) to Stovepipe Wells (3 m) must have been quite fun.

44C in Stovepipe Wells atm.

[Basil]

I'm trying, and failing, to work out where I was and what I was doing in 2003.
I have no recollection of a heatwave.

Now my bloody memory is falling to bits, along with everything else.   

[phantasmagoriana]

I'm trying, and failing, to work out where I was and what I was doing in 2003.
I have no recollection of a heatwave.

I know I was working in a call centre in Chester, but also have no recollection of a heatwave. Either the offices had decent aircon or the heatwave didn't make it there. Or both.

[Basil]

Oh, and now I have remembered that I have an appointment in Glangwili Hospital on Monday to have a 48 hour heart monitor fitted.
That's not going to be a fun drive, particularly the return home at midday-ish.

[Feanor]

There used to be the Furnace Creek 508 too.  Even in October DETH Valley can be pretty warm, though the descent of Towne Pass (~1500 m ASL) to Stovepipe Wells (3 m) must have been quite fun.

44C in Stovepipe Wells atm.

Stepping out of the air-conditioned car into the full heat of the day, with a slight breeze going, is like stepping into a fan oven.

[Mr Larrington]

Last time I was there I appeared to be the only one mad enough to be driving a convertible with the roof down


P9020402 by Mr Larrington, on Flickr. Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

[Hot Flatus]

I remember the tarmac melting in '76. I was outbox my bike. Don't remember much fuss. It was in the days before sun tan lotion and water bottles of 😆

[Polar Bear]

Whether or not it's exceptional three consecutive days of mid 30's or higher heat with clear skies, blazing sun, high UV, virtually no breeze and high humidity may cause many elderly, disabled, and the less fit significant problems.

I will be hunkering down with my stay cool strategy.

Please remember to check on those friends, neighbours and family that you consider might suffer.  It really isn't a great deal of effort.

[rafletcher]

I'm trying, and failing, to work out where I was and what I was doing in 2003.
I have no recollection of a heatwave.

I know I was working in a call centre in Chester, but also have no recollection of a heatwave. Either the offices had decent aircon or the heatwave didn't make it there. Or both.

I’ve just remembered, we had some days in August where we sat outside until 10:30 or so, so I guess that was it.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Re: melting asphalt in 1976 - modern polymer-modified bitumens and modern asphalt mix designs have better performance than in days of old. They can cope with a wider temperature range before cracking (cold) and flowing (hot).

Though roads still rut like hell under heavy, slow-moving traffic at surface temperatures above 50 degrees.

[Jaded]

If there is a record temperature recorded, then the temperatures are higher than before.

If we seem to get new records every few years, then that might not be just bog standard historic changes..

[quixoticgeek]

I realise that the elderly may not be included in this, but is anybody else a bit baffled by what looks like hysteria over 35⁰, when at the end of next week many will choose to jet off in seek of such temperatures?

Because people don't change their behaviour to take into account of conditions.

The same way that we don't stay at home in winter, but instead insist on driving on ice. Badly. So when the temp starts to increase, we insist on packing ourselves on public transport. On working during the heat of the day. Of wearing the same clothes we did when it was 15°C. The same way that when we get 3 days of ice, the best thing to do is stay home with netflix and a warm stew. When it's bonkers hot and humid, like it will be this week accepting that the thing to do is to stay in the shade, not try to do strenuous labour, etc...

The headline's are all about temps of upto 40°C, but the thing that is being massively over looked it the impact of humidity. We need to talk about things like the wet bulb temperature, and heat index. Here in .NL the humidity in my flat has been between 45 and 50% all day, At 26°C that's ok, But at 40°C, 50% humidity is going to feel more like 55°C. Even 36°C and 50% humidity feel more like 42°C. These are not insignificant conditions.

"But people in $location have 40+°C temps in the summer". Yes this is also true, the thing with a lot of those places that we all like to jet off to for a holiday, is that the locals get to acclimatise. It doesn't go from 20°C highs for a month or two, to 38°C the next day in massive wild swings, and then 3 days later, back to 20°C. The locals get a chance to get used to it. We brits are largely adjusted to 10°C with mild drizzle.

This is the point where people also make claims like "buildings in the UK aren't designed for the heat, they are designed to keep us warm in winter". Which is half true. They aren't designed for the heat, but also we have the worst insulation in Europe. Many live in draughty, poorly insulated homes that are expensive to heat. Our housing stock is awful. But retrofitting it is going to be painful.

In short. Temperatures this coming week are going to be high, this is a serious health concern for all of us. Be careful. Drink more water. Stay in the shade. And stop extracting and burning fossil fuels.

J

[Hot Flatus]

And yet people will be jetting off to these temperatures, and they won't spend their time in houses with verandas and shutters, they'll be out lying on the beach.

It's a bit hot. It's not armageddon.

[Wowbagger]

And yet people will be jetting off to these temperatures, and they won't spend their time in houses with verandas and shutters, they'll be out lying on the beach.

It's a bit hot. It's not armageddon.

It’s indicative of things to come and it is unprecedented.

It was only about 3 years ago that the met office was warning that by 2050 the UK could expect temperatures of 40°C. It would appear to be arriving 28 years earlier than that.  40° heat will kill quite a few people who would have survived lower temperatures. Where will we be in 5 years? 43°? And the governments that matter continue to do fuckall.

[Hot Flatus]

That is a different point about climate change.

[rogerzilla]

At least we don't have mosquitoes in most of the UK, which make sleeping in the heat even worse.  Meanwhile, 90% of new USian homes have aircon, which makes outdoors even hotter (as well as increasing energy use and CO2).  PV-powered aircon, anyone?  I think it would just about work, in power terms, on a clear day, assuming a house or bungalow.  Flats might not have the roof to volume ratio.

[Polar Bear]

It's only a decade or so ago when we were on Sanday and the temperatures got up to around 20^oC.  Long stretches of the road surface had turned sticky.  Clearly the mix for the tarmac there didn't take into consideration such high temperatures! 

[Jurek]

My weather station is currently showing 29°C.
The sensor is in the shade.

[quixoticgeek]

And yet people will be jetting off to these temperatures, and they won't spend their time in houses with verandas and shutters, they'll be out lying on the beach.

And what humidity?

And how many of those will get sun stroke. or suffer heat exhaustion? Every summer tourists from the UK suffer heat related illnesses when they goto warmer climates.

It's a bit hot. It's not armageddon.

People will die due to the heat this week. For those people, that's pretty fucking significant.

Trains will stop running cos the rails will buckle.

Roads will be closed cos the tarmac melts.

Water networks are going to struggle with increased demand.

Power grid is going to have a mixed bag with the heat effecting transition lines and transformers, but the big increase in solar output.

It's not Armageddon. But it's pretty fucking significant. Sure we're going to have only 2-3 days of it, and most ca be easily repaired.

But this is definitely indicative that it's going to happen more often.

J

[T42]

The standard French system is to have inwardly-opening windows and outside shutters with louvres. The shutters keep the sun out but let the air through.  Once the outside air heats up we shut the windows and keep the indoor air circulating with fans.

Dunno how that will cope with >40°C.  We've had 37° max here and we're due 36° on Tuesday.