Bloody hot over there!!!

Ouch, havin' a heat wave ... all over the place. The world is HOT!Sounds awful in Britain and you folks aren't used to that are you?! Pretty extreme ... I know we're expected to hit the 40's by the weekend here ... not looking forward to that with no airconditioner here

I hope you all manage to keep cool ... and stay safe from the heat!!!!!!!

Karmen.

Britain swelters under record highs

By LAURA-CLAIRE CORSON

LONDON (AP) - Lions licked blood-flavour ed ice blocks in the zoo, judges went wigless in court and guards at Buckingham Palace ducked into the shade.

Britain faced the hottest day ever recorded in July on Wednesday as a heat wave swept much of Europe. Temperatures hit 35.8 degrees C south of London - so hot some road surfaces melted. Two people died in Spain as temperatures climbed above 40 degrees C, while officials in France said as many as nine people who died recently were believed to be victims of the heat.

But with its aging buildings and infrequent brushes with sweltering temperatures, Britain was particularly ill-equipped for the heat wave.

London's Underground has no air conditioning and the Evening Standard newspaper measured temperatures in the train system at 47.2 degrees C. Operator Transport for London takes no measurements but did not dispute the figure.

"I don't even want to talk about it," said Jean Thurgood of east London, fanning herself frantically on a stuffy bus. "It feels like the hottest day of the century."

Construction workers in northwest England, meanwhile, dumped crushed rocks on highways because the liquefying pavement was sticking to vehicles, Cumbria's county council said.

Across Europe, health officials warned people to stay out of the sun and to drink plenty of water.

In France, several days of dry heat and high temperatures - which reached 36 degrees C in Paris on Wednesday and 102 degrees in Bordeaux a day earlier - recalled a heat wave in 2003, when 15,000 people died from dehydration and heat-related disorders. Many were elderly and were in some cases left alone while families vacationed.

Since then, France's government has adopted measures to avoid a repeat of the disaster. On Wednesday, French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin visited a retirement home to check on the prevention plan.

In Paris, heat-busters included four giant humidifiers placed around the Eiffel Tower, one at each foot, that sprayed passers-by with water vapour as they tried to escape the sun's punishing rays.

This week's victims of the heat in France likely included two people in their 80s who died Tuesday in the Bordeaux region, and a 53-year-old construction worker who collapsed in the central city of Macon.

Elsewhere in Europe, temperatures at 4 p.m., when daytime measurements generally peak, registered 35 degrees C in Berlin, 34.3 in Brussels, Belgium, and 35.2 in the Dutch city of Utrecht.

In the Netherlands, the Nijmegen 4-Day March was cancelled after two participants died in the heat. Some 300 people taking part in the popular walk became ill Tuesday in temperatures that reached 35 degrees and 30 were hospitalized.

In Britain, many people simply sought shelter indoors as the mercury rose. The temperature at Wisley in Surrey, south of London, peaked at 36.5 Fahrenheit - the hottest temperature ever recorded in Britain in July.

The average temperature in southeastern England in July is 21 degrees C - and that figure has been the night-time temperature the past few days.

Sancha Lancaster, spokeswoman for Britain's primary weather forecaster the Meteorological Office, said as the heat hangs on, temperatures could eclipse the record of 38.3 degrees C in Faversham, Kent, on Aug. 10, 2003.

"There's no air conditioning anywhere, it seems," said 24-year-old Australian Mark Jones, who is living in London this summer. "In Australia, we're used to this, but here, a lot of people don't even have fans."

London officials advised people to carry a bottle of water.

Andrei Danilov, 32, dutifully cradled mineral water on a London bus.

"It gets worse and worse every year," he said. "I can't stand it."

At the historic Royal Courts of Justice, judges were allowed to remove their traditional wigs for court proceedings. One of Britain's largest trade union federations, the Trades Union Congress, issued a statement urging people to wear shorts to work.

And in a rare move, the two-hour shifts of the royal guards who stand outside Buckingham Palace were reduced to one hour at the beginning of the week in preparation for the heat, said the London headquarters spokesman, Col. David Sievwright.

At the Colchester Zoo, zookeepers gave lions ice blocks flavoured with blood, and monkeys got blocks containing fruit.

But the heat failed to dash one of Queen Elizabeth's annual garden parties. Nearly 8,000 people lined up to enter Buckingham Palace.

[Ponysoldier]

I didnt know that it had gotten that hot over there.
People over there cant be accustomed to that heat.
Patrick

[Keith Webb]

Here in Eltham at 5.23AM it's about minus 2.

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Here in Eltham at 5.23AM it's about minus 2.

Rub it in, rub it in? What a nasty boy you are today Master Keefy! Shame on you!!!

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
I didnt know that it had gotten that hot over there.
People over there cant be accustomed to that heat.
Patrick

I know Texas can't compete with Arid-zona for heat, but yesterday we hit 43C./110F. And I'm working on the roof of Terminal C at DFW airport running power to the Heat Trace. I estimate the heat coming off the roof tiles at about 49C./120F. Now I know what it's like to work like a Mexican!

[Max Hedges]

Karmen isn't there plenty of lakes in Canada, so can't you just go and jump in the lake to cool off.
Max

Originally posted by Max Hedges
Karmen isn't there plenty of lakes in Canada, so can't you just go and jump in the lake to cool off.
Max

Wouldn't that be something to enjoy ... if only I could get to one Am a tad housebound these days, but it sure is a pleasant fantasy to visualize and pretend I'm there, which is the next best thing to being there I guess

My daughter is in Oakland visiting her dad still and they have a swimming pool she can cool off in, which I'm sure she's doing whenever she can. Lucky duck!



Karmen.

[Ponysoldier]

Derek
I'm an old ac tech if you want a tempture in the sun,
or the ambient temputure add 30 degrees to the
temp or in your case 140 derees.That doesnt include
humidy which down there is high,so figure about 150!
We get a lot of that down here,but what really gets
you is when the tempture does not drop below 100
at night
Patrick
PS oh yeah tommorrow its going to hit 115.I could use
that cold lake right about now

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

It hit a maximum of 37.3C or 97.3F on Wednesday..a record high for the UK for July ever!

Our max is 101F or thereabouts but the hottst I have knwon wa 108F in Formentera, Spain (Balearic Islands).

[sapper740]

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
Derek
I'm an old ac tech if you want a tempture in the sun,
or the ambient temputure add 30 degrees to the
temp or in your case 140 derees.That doesnt include
humidy which down there is high,so figure about 150!
We get a lot of that down here,but what really gets
you is when the tempture does not drop below 100
at night
Patrick
PS oh yeah tommorrow its going to hit 115.I could use
that cold lake right about now

But it's a dry heat, right! LOL!

We're finally getting some respite from triple digit heat here in Texas. A cold front is supposed to move through our area on Saturday dropping the temp. to 94F. S'funny, back in Canada a 94 degree day would be a scorcher...in Texas, it's going to be a pleasant day!

Just keeping this HOT TOPIC hot and here are some fights about who's got the hot spot record : ... Ma Yappy

Heat wave hits B.C. South Coast and Interior
Updated Fri. Jul. 21 2006 11:52 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Temperatures are soaring in southern and central British Columbia, with no signs the heat wave is going to end any time soon.

The mercury is expected to stay in the high 30s into next week in places like Kamloops, Kelowna, Grand Forks and Creston, according to Environment Canada.

In Canada, there are fears the hot, dry weather could spark forest fires. Kamloops fire information officer Jeanne Rucker of the B.C. Forest Service calls it a recipe for a potential disaster.

Earlier in July, dry weather and lightning proved a lethal combination, prompting an early start to the forest season with 550 fires recorded.

Many farmers have also been affected by the hot, dry weather, which has severely hurt crops.

"We have seen a drought before but this is a worst-case scenario," Irmi Critcher, president of the B.C. Grain Producers Association, told the Vancouver Sun.

Meanwhile, B.C. Hydro is confident that the electrical grid will be able to handle the increased demand.

Elisha Moreno of B.C. Hydro said "British Columbians are very energy conscious and don't use as many air conditioners" as in Central Canada or California.

In the United States, a heat wave that has taken hold across much of the country is being blamed for at least 20 deaths in 10 states.

They include Illinois, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, South Dakota, Tennessee, Kansas and Wisconsin, according to The Associated Press.

The forecast for Friday suggested that relief could be coming.

Heated rivalry

The temperatures in B.C. aren't far from the record of 44.4 degrees Celsius recorded in 1941 in Lytton and Lillooet -- the hottest temperature ever recorded in B.C.

That has sparked a long-standing rivalry between the two towns over which is Canada's so-called hot spot.

To prove its point, Lillooet built its own weather station, which it keeps under lock and key.

But a few years ago tempers ignited when Lytton's sign designating it as "Canada's Hot Spot" ended up in Lillooet.

"It actually had a couple weeks holidays on our provincial lawn, but the RCMP made us take it back," said Christ'l Roshard, mayor of Lillooet.

Lytton Mayor Chris O'Connor has documented this debate with pride.

"I tell them the only way that they actually can become Canada's hot spot is when we annex them, and make them part of greater Lytton.

Despite the debate, it turns out the title for hot spot goes to Midale and Yellow Grass, Sask., which hit 45 degrees Celsius back in 1937

Just a little temperature conversion chart I found for people like me who don't know metric yet

Celcius Farenheit

100 - 212
40 - 104
38 - 100.4
37 - 98.6
36 - 96.2
34 - 93.2
32 - 89.6
30 - 86
28 - 82.4
26 - 78.8
24 - 75.2
22 - 71.6
20 - 68
18 - 64.4
16 - 60.8
14 - 57.2
12 - 53.6
10 - 50
8 - 46.4
6 - 42.8
4 - 39.2
2 - 35.6
0 - 32
-2 - 28.4
-4 - 24.8
-6 - 21.2
-8 - 17.6

[Ponysoldier]

Umm I best read that chart again people are worried
about days in the high 80s?????Today it was really
hot the weather people forecasted 115 it actually
hit 117 the humidy was in the high 40% range
which is very high for us. This sparked the thunder
storms and rain which ran the humidy rate sky high
went to about 74%..Yeah a dry heat.Still heat for those
that are accustom to it,and dont pay attention can kill
every year the illeagals cross our border and as many
100 die it is very hard to carry enough water to cross
150 mile+ of desert but every year they try.That is
foolish.
Patrick

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
Umm I best read that chart again people are worried
about days in the high 80s?????Patrick

Hi Pat,

I guess the problem would be the body not being adapted or used to the climate, or to extremes, so it can't take it ... where you are, I'd probably be dead in two minutes, literally! ... if you were here you'd be comfy in the day and at night you'd probably be pulling the quilt over you to get warm We can go from 35c in the day, to 13c at night right now.

How are the soldiers handling it over in Afghanistan in the heat and in those uniforms and all their equipment they have to wear and lug around??? They aren't used to those extremes of temps because they've never lived in it and they were abruptly dropped in it. Doesn't it get extremely hot there??? I really feel for them. Their bodies are acclimatized to Canadian weather and environments.

K.

[Ponysoldier]

Its got to very hard on all of our troops,in Iraq.Being
plucked from cooler climates,any kind of cooler climate
To the extremes that they have there,is physically
hard,the body uses so much enegry taking to stay
cool.Im told our troops are eating 10,000 to 12,000
calories a day,considering military food that is alot.
Water is the key, people here dont drink enough.
When you work in extremes like this or in Iraq
you had better be drinking at least 2 Quarts of
water an hour,a rule of thumb we have here is
you dont have to go potty your already in trouble.
If I'm not mistaken all of the troops over there yours
and ours have that canteen back pack,and there
is water in their vechiles. In the winter here we have
a lot of Canadians visit for the winter,because ours
winters are much like what your summer is, and
rarely does it snow.
Patrick

Well, I sure hope it cools down all over the world, PDQ ... but it doesn't look like it will around here until end of next week or something. We're at about 36c/96f? but higher farther to the Coast right now ... not bad some would say, but I sure feel it.

K.

Hi. I'm stunned because I just read a Yahoo news report from AP stating that there have been 132 deaths from the heatwave, so far of mostly elderly people...the elderly are SO vulnerable...

It sounds like the heatwave is breaking, or about to. God, I hope so. They're getting it so bad in the States.

Karmen.

[Ponysoldier]

Now whats bloody strange is the the mid-west is getting
very hot and humid,the southwest has turned cool.
Well it is cool for us it didnt even hit 100 today yesterday
was in the 90s, it is quite humid but yet it is refreshing.
It wont last long. We did have 1-1/4 inches of rain
two days ago and massive power outages from that storm.
Patrick

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Heavy rain last night for us! Nice!

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Heavy rain last night for us! Nice!

COOL!!!!!

Ma Yappy.

Originally posted by Ponysoldier
It wont last long. We did have 1-1/4 inches of rain
two days ago and massive power outages from that storm.
Patrick

Am glad you folks are getting a little relief there, Pat.

Extremes this way and that way, wouldn't it be nice if Mama Nature laid happy mediums on us all over? What a huge impact she has on our ways of life.

Am hearing very sad stories all round about crops and waters, creeks drying up, and livestocks being sold due to the droughts already. Some selling off their entire livestocks and just quitting ... not to mention all the heat related deaths (California numbers are scarey)

K.

[Alex Blair (RIP)]

Originally posted by Vets Dottir


not to mention all the heat related deaths (California numbers are scarey)

K.

IT'S THE WEAK AND THE OLD AND THE SICK THAT GOES FIRST....

Originally posted by Alex Blair
IT'S THE WEAK AND THE OLD AND THE SICK THAT GOES FIRST....

You sure got that right. In California, I read that it's been mostly elderly people who have passed away.

I'm still kicking, but if I were down there I'd probably be kicking up daisies ...

Today it's COLD here at 16C about and hour ago ... am wearing long pants, long sleeved top plus a sweater, and warm socks and I still feel cold! Go figure, but it's a great relief for a while ... weather trend says back up to mid 30's or so by midweek though, so it ain't over yet. And we're just starting August.

Oh yes ... I heard it through the grapevine that those little wildfires around us have been doused. Good. They were a little close to home here ... it's very windy today and not a good combo for fires, eh?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

Rained last night and today. Lovely.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/31072006/14...-official.html

Originally posted by David_Hayward
Rained last night and today. Lovely.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/31072006/14...-official.html

Excellent news ... may it continue!

Karmen

[Ponysoldier]

Well our local mainstream press reported the deaths
of an older couple today,Both were listed as heat related
deaths.The local police dept.found the air conditioner
turned off.This happens every year The elders cannot
afford the bills that an A/C unit brings ( sometimes as
much as 300.00-400.00 US ) power here has some of
highest rates in the western US.
Patrick