Heatwave: National emergency declared after UK's first red extreme heat warning

[Omaha Steve]

Source: BBC

By Doug Faulkner & Charley Adams

A national emergency has been declared after a red extreme heat warning was issued for the first time, as temperatures could hit 40C (104F).

The Met Office's highest warning covers an area including London, Manchester and York on Monday and Tuesday.

It means there is a risk to life and daily routines will need to change.

Speed restrictions are likely on railway lines, some schools will close early and some hospital appointments will be cancelled.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62177458

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International climate change.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Jesus. 43 years ago I was backpacking through the UK and Europe.

I would have been easily sickened by the heat if it had been this hot back then.

[nuxvomica]

2. I wonder if this will affect their roads

Temperate climates often have asphalt that gets soft at these temperatures.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Some councils are going to use gritters to spread sand

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2022-07-11/how-are-gritters-helping-to-keep-traffic-moving-in-the-heatwave

[Warpy]

21. Asphalt is reasonably stable here in the desert southwest

where heat waves are hotter and the sun is absolutely relentless. Some tar might get to the surface if the mix wasn't just right and make cars dirty, but it takes a lot of overuse and neglect to degrade them significantly.

104F is getting up there, no matter where you are. I remember how miserable it was back east. Here, in an arid climate, it's tolerable.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. And lots of places don't have AC. nt

Last edited Sat Jul 16, 2022, 09:04 AM - Edit history (1)

[paleotn]

5. Exactly. I can't imagine 100+F without AC.

[machoneman]

8. Oh yes, most don't have a/c in homes, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, schools, libraries and more

[róisín_dubh]

19. My flat is on the 7th floor

And is warm enough in winter than I rarely turn on the heat.
The next few days are gonna be horrendous.

[irisblue]

23. Is there a place where you, your pets & beloveds can go to be cool

Heat that high is hell on seniors

[róisín_dubh]

24. I'm heading to the beach.

My friend with whom I live unfortunately has to go into work (she's a nurse with the NHS).
Fortunately being from New Jersey we're both pretty familiar with heat, but it's a lot easier when the country is built for it.

[3Hotdogs]

4. Most don't have air conditioning and they don't have window screens.

We were in London during one summer. Temperature in the 80's and humid. We were in one of the cheap tourist hotels.. SMALL room and shower. We had to with to a Comfort Inn in order to get a.c.

I wonder if their cars now have a.c. as standard equipment? I know an automatic transmission was difficult to rent when I was there, 15 years ago.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. A/C is fairly typical in new cars in Britain now

but I couldn't say exactly how far down the price scale it goes. Very few homes have it, and I wouldn't expect it in a cheap hotel either. Automatic transmissions are growing a bit, but most people still learn on a manual (your licence restricts you to auto if you don't), so the standard for rental is still manual.

[3Hotdogs]

9. My car rental story.... Plymouth. So we reserve a cheap, auto trans from Avis, and book the flight.

I can't drive a right side driving car because I am blind in my left eye and can't see out of the rear view mirror. So Joyce is the driver. But she has arthritis so that's why we need the auto trans.

We get out of the parking lot with the cheap car and the brakes aren't working. Now it's one thing when your car won't start. Its another think when your car won't stop... SO... back to the rental lot.

"Sorry. No more cheap auto cars. The next auto car we have is bigger -- 12 pounds more per day."

Me: "Well, here's how it works. I have a document that I reserved the car in Newark, N.J. In N.J., we have a thing called Small Claims court. So's I take the big car and pay the difference and then I sue Avis in Newark for the difference for contract violation."

Clerk: "Right." as she toddles off to the back office. (I love the British, "Right." )

She comes back with the keys to the higher priced car, at the lower charge rate.

The bigger car was more difficult for Joyce to drive in the narrow English roads, but it worked out.

[machoneman]

11. Hah! When in Rome, the rental agency made me drive a stick car around the block to prove....

I, as a lazy American, could drive stick! Well, being a former drag racer (stick only) dragster driver (very fast!) and road racer (stick only) he got the ride of his life....and on stopping said the car is yours! Haha!

[machoneman]

10. We were in London right near Trafalgar Sq. in a a/c equipped hotel. It was the hottest summer since

the Blitz in 1940 we were told! Had no idea it would hit 93F or so when we booked it many months before. Think it was in 2001. Anyway, taxis by the score were overheating as they didn't need antifreeze (allows for higher engine temps in Summer) nor did they have high pressure radiator caps. We did a lot of walking (Brit Museum, Trafalgar Square shops, etc.) and being Chicagoans, the high heat wasn't a bother. But oh Lord, every Brit complained a lot and we often saw rescue vehicles picking up those with heat stroke.

Yeah, if this wave lasts, the Brits are in real trouble for sure.

[3Hotdogs]

12. Am I recalling correctly that the underground cars are aircondioned?

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. Only the ones that run near the surface, and the new Elizabeth/Crossrail line

https://www.geofftech.co.uk/downloads/AirConditionedTubeMap.pdf

which says "Only the four ‘sub-surface’ Underground lines have air-conditioned trains". You might think the deeper lines stay cool, but I remember a horrendous, packed, rush-hour journey on the Piccadilly line from the centre out to Heathrow Airport that showed they can heat up too (thankfully I managed to manoeuvre to the end of a carriage, next to an open window).

[Ford_Prefect]

13. But it's only happening over there in pommie land. Teach 'em to mind their environment better, yeah?

Of course those forward-thinking Tories have it all managed, just like Brexit. All they need to do is rewrite a few laws and regulatory standards, and all will be well in God's green land.

[AllaN01Bear]

15. eek.

[Paul Eeez]

16. Europe's Scorching Heatwave Shows Climate Crisis Dangers

[BigmanPigman]

17. They may can fine you if your A/C at 81

or you get a big fine...

"Adding further strain to residents and visitors amid the heat is that air conditioning is not used as widely in Europe as it is in the United States. Even where there are air conditioners, they may not cool down buildings as much as those in the U.S."

"An initiative in Italy dubbed "operation thermostat" states that air conditioners cannot be set lower than 27 C (81 F) in an effort to conserve energy, according to Politico. Residents or businesses that do not comply with this new law could be fined roughly the equivalent of $500 to $3,000."


"Long-term heat waves are uncommon in Europe, but they are not unheard of. Over the last 25 years, there have only been three long-duration heat waves to impact parts of Europe: 2003 (western and central Europe, 32 days), 2006 (western and north-central Europe, 35 days) and 2021 (Italy and southeast Europe, 21 days)," Roys explained. Last summer was also the hottest on record for Europe."

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-forecasts/europe-heat-wave-could-be-worst-in-over-200-years/1216701

[Warpy]

18. I read about their extreme heat warning last week and did the math

"89.4F? Big woop, that counts as a summertime cold front in NM."

Then I remembered how soggy they are and how miserable that temperature was in Boston. Few people had AC in Boston. Most had fans. They don't generally have even that much in the UK. I remember hearing a snippet about the UK a century ago about a heat wave that just wouldn't end, temperatures in the 70s!

My best advice to them: drink lots of cool fluids. Soak your head, it really does help if the humidity is under 95%. Alcohol isn't recommended. Slow your activity as much as possible. If you're desperate, find an air conditioned venue and park there. Find a place to swim, the water will take a couple of weeks to warm up to ambient temperature and a swim in cool to cold water will cool you off for hours. Sweet talk your local fire company into opening a hydrant for half an hour or so, you'll be a hero to everybody in the area, especially the children. Just don't go for a drive with the windows down to cool off, that is making a bad situation worse.

[róisín_dubh]

20. Thank god my car has A/C...

And I took the day off to go to the beach.

[TexasBushwhacker]

22. What is the humidity like there?

It's the combination of heat and humidity that's the killer. I read that a good guideline is if the temperature and humidity add up to more than 150 STAY INDOORS!!! I'm in swampy Houston and I'm sure we hit that for at least a few hours every day. That is an absolute upper limit for people AND animals. Leave water out for birds and feral cats. Dogs should be taken out for no more than 5 to 10 minutes.

I saw something I will never forget on Thursday. I live on the edge of town and it's a mix of residential, industrial and open acreage. Now and then I see people riding horses. I was driving home around 5:30 and I saw something large on the side of the road - a dead horse. A ... DEAD ... HORSE!!! I figure the poor thing collapsed from the heat.

Be careful out there.