40C - 49C forecast for Europe next week - that is ridiculously hot

[cakeorwine]

‘I’ve never seen heat this bad. It’s not normal’: Italy struggles as temperature tops 40C | Italy | The Guardian

It's scary to think of these temperatures - not at all good for the human body.

I hope people who are going abroad over summer are prepared - or at least aware of how to stay safe in such heat.

I lived in Nicosia, Cyprus for a while. Over 40 degrees every day for weeks. Nobody went out in it from 12 noon for several hours (apart from tourists). The main part of the city was like a ghost town, shops closed until 4pm and then stayed open until 9pm etc.

Not all cooling systems are that awful. I've got evaporative cooling. As far as cooling systems, it's not that bad. As long as I get it on before the heat sets in, the house stays cool.

DS18 and friends are off to Italy today for four weeks travelling.
Somewhat anxious.

Plants and ivy make a massive difference in helping keep buildings cool. They are obviously beneficial to wildlife

Ivy isn’t very beneficial to the fabric of the building. Speaking from first hand experience of the damage it can cause.

maddiemookins16mum · Today 09:15
I lived in Nicosia, Cyprus for a while. Over 40 degrees every day for weeks.

Can I ask what crops were grown in the area please? Just curious. It won’t be a good predictor of the future as it’s wetter, wilder and warmer - rather than just warmer. But I’d be interested to know if you can grow anything.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/16/top-uk-energy-firms-to-warn-rishi-sunak-dont-back-off-green-agenda

Did you read the article?

it needs keeping in check, like all forms of gardening. It doesn’t cause damp, it helps keep the building cool, it is great for wildlife.

The thing with air travel needs to be hit on the head from early on. Schools going on ski trips, rugby trips to South Africa etc. They would be easy to cut. I'm not saying it would make a tremendous difference to the carbon footprint and save the planet, but there's something about teaching kids from early on that flying isn't something we do habitually or lightly.

I really hate the current trend of bucketlist travel, normally in young adulthood. People buying world maps and crossing out all the areas they've been too, almost like a competition. The most travelled person is the best. Lots of folk on here saying that they didn't want to do x,y or z until they "have travelled", usually to long haul places like Asia and Australia etc. We need to change our view of this, at the moment it's very much something to be done before settling down in life.

I understand people's point of view when they're saying what's the point in little me making changes when big celebrities and big companies aren't doing anything. But collectively we can put pressure on. Companies want to make money and if we stop spending our money with them because of their environmental practices they're forced to change or sink.

We could all be checking where our pensions and other money is invested and change it over to a socially responsible fund.

They haven't had 49 before which is what is forecast for Sicily and Sardinia.

TamagochiRegret

Yes, it’s understandable to think that we can’t effect change, but actually we, together, are very powerful. You only have to see how ants work to see just how much you can achieve when you work together.

I like this website as a hopeful message of the changes you can make.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/stories/climate-action/amp-index.html

Did you read the article?

I did. Do you have ivy on your house?

it needs keeping in check, like all forms of gardening. It doesn’t cause damp, it helps keep the building cool, it is great for wildlife.

Keeping it in check is very labour intensive and involves a lot of time up a ladder. We have plaster is falling off on the inside of the one remaining wall we have with ivy on it. This is due to damp. It is damp because the wall needs repointing on the outside because the ivy has pulled out the mortar. We can’t do this because the ivy needs stripping off to do this, but we can’t do that because there are birds nesting in it.

As you like RHS links…

”common or English ivy(Hedera helix sp.) supports itself by aerial roots and where these penetrate cracks or joints they may cause structural damage”

https://www.rhs.org.uk/prevention-protection/ivy-on-buildings

So glad to read posters echoing the thoughts I've shared before yet been scoffed at for mentioning. Together we have to try. We have to do our individual best regardless of whatever else people are doing.

Well, yeah.

Last year I managed with a fan, and a rotation of ice pops shoved down my back.

Then I slept under a wet towel, which is very effective for cooling.

I have lived in Andalucía for over twenty years. It's not what it's doing this week, it's the general Trend to hotter dryer weather. We had a very hot spring with virtually no rain and then unsettled weather in June and now a heatwave (40+). That's not normal. The reservoirs are dry because we re not getting winter rain.
The heat is fiercer for longer. Sometimes weeks of max of 43 and minimum not dropping below 27, for weeks. That's not normal.

Those of us that went to school/college/Uni in the 80’s were told oil would run out by 2030 though. So planes and cars shouldn’t be an issue.

Was in Sardinia in 1993 a teenager where temperature was around 40-46+ and it was so hot but I it not uncommon for summers to hit those temperatures at times, especially July and August and Sicily is the same. We We were there last week of July and August. They have siesta especially for the heat. My cousin is there now and back next week and is loving it. The Italians love their beach and are generally sensible in the heat. The beaches are amazing there as well.

I wonder if any studies were done on the impact of lockdown/minimal travel/no flights and so on during Covid? If so, that might show a trend, and how the severe reduction in carbon emissions helped.

Also, climate change afaik means a gradual change in normal temperature/rainfall for a region over a good number of years. Heatwaves are not indicative of climate change, they have always happened. It is the gradual impact of carbon emissions on climate that is the issue.

@Keykat

I wonder if any studies were done on the impact of lockdown/minimal travel/no flights and so on during Covid?

Haven't seen any but FWIW it was never a case of "no flights", certainly into/out of the UK and many other countries so it would be hard to do a meaningful study.

The dedicated freight services (DHL, Fedex etc) continued and where I worked a lot of Long haul passenger aircraft and their crews continued to operate flying freight only, carrying amongst other things PPE and Pharma/drugs/testing kits from the far east.

Frankly unless people are willing to accept considerable social and material change flights will have to continue in large numbers.

Frankly unless people are willing to accept considerable social and material change flights will have to continue in large numbers.
Frankly if this happens and we don't join the dots we're looking at widespread crop failure. drought, migration issues, famines and and wars over water, food and borders.
So we can have flights etc but it will lead to wars, famines, and starvation.
I wish I could say it's a no-brainer, but sadly for most of us we are choosing extinction. And no, I'm not a part of extinction rebellion or just stop oil. They are too theatrical for my tastes.

For me the difference is how long each "spell" lasts and that we are getting them both earlier and later than before. A few years ago (5 maybe) we had over a week of 43 in September. That never used to happen. This year we has almost 40 in May. Even in summer, the 40+ used to be for three or four days then drop back to 35-39. Last year we had twenty consecutive days of 43. Each year a new maximum is broken. I think the récord is about 48 in Córdoba.
And we arent getting the rain we need in winter. Last winter was unusually dry.

At times. But those times are becoming more frequent and prolonged, that's the point. I live in southern Spain and it's definitely getting worse. Been here over twenty years and it has changed in that time.

The Guardian is reporting scientists say we are experiencing the highest global temperatures in 120,000 years.

We will all spontaneously combust.

What happened to the Ozone layer anyway? Remember that awful terrifying thing. I suppose it's gone now so we will roast alive.

There seems to be a lot of talk, agreements, conferences, scaremongering and so on, but little of practical use is fed down by Governments. New builds with mandatory A ratings and solar panels? Grants to do the same to existing properties? Very cheap subsidised supply of Green energy for cars, heating and so on instead of fossil fuels?, increased investment in public transport? Levy/ban on gigantic cars in urban areas? Free or heavily subsidised public transport? High tax on air travel/cruising?

I suppose the methods will not affect those wealthy enough to cope. What about others?

There are far too many vested interests talking the talk, but not walking the walk. Our little contributions while good are frustrating and practically useless when other entities don't seem to bother much.

Yes, trees are essential. They clean air and water and help cool the area. We also need deeper understanding of how forests work. The importance of 'mother' trees in protecting and educating younger trees, the communications between root and fungal systems will help to grow protective wood and forest areas too. It's understanding the deep interplay between systems that can help us, rather than seeing things in isolation too.

@Polis you'll be able to tackle the ivy at the end of bird nesting season, so from August until next March. Its only active nests that are protected.