To think that if the polar vortex ever fully came over the UK and we had temps of -30 with windchill of -45, half the country would be wiped out?

[MargoLovebutter]

Watched the news about North America and the cold temps they are currently experiencing in areas that wouldn't usually and I thought if that ever happened in the UK, everyone would just die.

Slightly light-hearted but what do others think - given 2 cms of snow seems to bring us to a standstill?

We build an infrastructure to meet the environment we live in, temperatures below -30 Centigrade are unheard of. Likewise most of our buildings couldn't withstand an earthquake, nor could we cope with monsoon levels of rainfall, our sewage system would overflow.

I honestly think that the extreme weather events climate change brings will eventually finish us off as a civilisation. They will just pile up until we are lurching from one to another and unable to cope.

Imagine what it would have been like when the Romans left Britain. Laws going unenforced, society gradually breaking down, technology not being repaired and maintained. In a generation they would have gone from underfloor heating and hot baths to a much more basic level of survival.

What do you mean cars are designed differently to survive colder temperatures?
I live in the Alps. Its cold. We have a regular Opel Corsa. Yes we have winter tyres on atm, and snow chains in the boot incase. But the actual car must be the same car as a corsa in the UK? The snow chains are a £30 bog standard thing from Amazon.

Our neighbours all drive 'regular' European cars. Hardly anyone drives a huge 4x4 as everyone in the Uk seems to think. I haven't seen any cars not start as its 'cold'.

-38 degrees is extreme cold, It would be unusual to get that cold here. -20 ish is usually the coldest and thats generally at night

Look, I think what happens is that the people who were going to die anyway kind of clump up during extreme unseasonable weather (then there’s a lull). Also if the weather exacerbates particular health conditions, there’ll be a spike there too.

My country has been experiencing record heat for a month- literally maximum heat records being broken multiple times a week. 3 consecutive days over 38º, many over 45º (normally 25º-33º).

Now we don’t have aircon (I’d say the majority don’t) but we really haven’t changed our routine. Everything gets done, perhaps with less proper sleep and more ice cream. It isn’t fun or pleasant, but it’s truly not an emergency situation for average people with good health and the knowledge to stay hydrated.

More problematic is the infrastructure. Train tracks overheating, electricity generators overloaded, rubber/plastic componentry melting.
So things slow down dramatically. But no one’s dropping dead in the street. Unless there’s something else going on (or they steal my cold beer!).

I think that we'd adapt. We have a very moderate climate here so we'd benefit from more time to make necessary changes to accommodate more extreme weather than they have in other countries.

I think you have a very different idea of light hearted than me

But yeah...in extreme cold lots of people would die, at least initially

Well we do have a very moderate climate her, but that is only because of the Gulf stream. If you look on the globe how far north we are, we should be like Canada or Russia or Scandinavia.

So if global warming causes changes to the Gulf stream (which has been happening some years) then we are totally fucked.

I am amazed by the amount of people who just don't know how to drive in cold conditions! When I was growing up, snow was an annual event, and with fewer cars, all the side roads quickly built up to a 3inch layer of packed snow/ice. My mother had not trouble driving in those conditions.

Since I've owned a car, snow on the roads has been a perhaps one day in 5 years event. Is it any surprise I don't know how to drive on it (except in a theoretical sense)?

I've got a meeting tomorrow morning 35 miles away. I know they have snow, minor roads are already impassable. I'm considering a) driving, and hoping for the best (probably parking with a half mile or mile walk in the snow to complete the journey) b) taking the train, with possibilities of delay and a long snowy walk at the other end c) not going. c) is looking increasingly likely.

USA always gets mentioned as a country that copes just fine with lots of snow, but I remember the chaos when it snowed in the southern states a few years ago. Just like everywhere else where snow is a rare event.

I know how far north we are, I just think the Gulf stream would slow down before it collapsed and give us time to adapt....and then I googled and now I might invest in some articles sleeping bags.

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