# Heatwave in Western Europe: UK, Portugal, Spain and France



## Zedcars (Jul 18, 2022)

We currently have an extreme weather warning here in the UK. Highs expected to reach 41°C (106°F) in central parts of the country on Tuesday 19th July. We’re not accustomed to such high temperatures. The last few days have been getting progressively hotter.

My elderly mother is struggling and we are near the coast where temps are a few degrees cooler than inland. Average temperatures for July are around 21°C (70°F). Most houses, schools and hospitals do not have air conditioning. I bought a portable unit for my mother so thankfully that helps a bit (although it is very loud!).

I see on the news that many people in Western Europe have it worse than us. Wild fires are breaking out in Portugal, Spain and France.

Heat stroke is also posing a risk to life and the elderly and infirm are most at risk.

Stay safe out there everyone and keep hydrated!


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## pinki (Jul 18, 2022)

Yup its 37 degrees here today in Bristol and the nights not much better…


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## sostenuto (Jul 18, 2022)

Sunday was all time record in Salt Lake City, Utah _ 107 *F. _ I'm ~350 miles south and 110* +. Some help from high-desert humidity _ ~~ 19%. We brag about 'DRY' Heat ! ☠️


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## Virtuoso (Jul 18, 2022)

A balmy 57°F (14°C) in Seattle today. 🥶 I was actually considering moving to Portugal in a couple of years, but this craziness is making me have second thoughts.


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## Loïc D (Jul 18, 2022)

41°C announced in Paris (was 39°C yesterday).
Hopefully, I live in a modern condo with great heat isolation (28°C inside w/o air con). I can even make music without oversweating.


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## Jett Hitt (Jul 18, 2022)

Welcome to the end of the world. Climate scientists have been telling us for 30 years that this was coming. This is Oklahoma tomorrow:


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## KarlHeinz (Jul 19, 2022)

27,3 ° now at work (I "share" my room with all our servers, only "ventilation" is straight into the room....) and thats only cause I started working today as soon as I could get into the building at 6:00....

30° will be reached long before midday today I am sure, I real wonder how far this will go today.....

Tomorrow (when highest temperature outside will be reached with around 38 °) I already told my boss that I will leave at midday. Sadly even here in germany there is no real concrete border from which temperature on you can stop working cause its simply impossible, there is a 35° border but that only oblige the company to do some measures (whatever they are.....).


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## MartinH. (Jul 19, 2022)

Jett Hitt said:


> Welcome to the end of the world.


It's important not to lose hope. We need to fight climate doomism just as hard as we fight climate denial:









Why is climate 'doomism' going viral – and who's fighting it?


Climate "doomers" believe it’s far too late to do anything about climate change - but they're wrong.



www.bbc.com






We live in times that suck, but they don't need to be the end of times.


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## angeruroth (Jul 19, 2022)

In Madrid we're going to top at 35ºC today, but after too many days at around 40ºC I'm going to welcome this temperature (and hopefully a much needed good night sleep).
I don't know about the end of the world  There's always hope!


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## Jaap (Jul 19, 2022)

Also in the Netherlands today extreme tempratures with likely up to 39 degrees in the area where I live...


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## ryans (Jul 19, 2022)

35C+ in July is normal where I live and the best advice I can give is drink water. Don't wait until you're thirsty. If you're thirsty it's too late.


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## Loerpert (Jul 19, 2022)

Any scandinavians here? Would love to have a summer house up north. I hate heatwaves.


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## pinki (Jul 19, 2022)

"It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel ..hot"


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## Zedcars (Jul 19, 2022)

pinki said:


> "It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel ..hot"


Sadly I didn’t get much REM last night due to the high temps.


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## PeterN (Jul 19, 2022)

Loerpert said:


> Any scandinavians here? Would love to have a summer house up north. I hate heatwaves.


Yes, I moved back early. Could see signs that its time to go back and build gardens, chicken coop, solar, water purification etc. Or, lets say, pandemic forced me back to North Europe, but grabbed the opportunity - still have a house in Andalucia (38C in Granada today, but that's average). Anyhow, house is on sale now.

The problem is drought has arrived here too. Not all parts, but where I am located, this is second year extreme drought. Strong whirly winds too, that are too common. Something is *definitely not in balance* (- same if you observe people mentally). When I was living in Spain, I learned all the hyped news on climate, and while in Himalayas, I witnessed glaciers GROWING, but still, something is not right.

Last year drought upset me, this year somewhat adjusted. Will be plenty harvest of beans and roots this year though, and cilantro everywhere. Had to water with hose. Eggs every day - fish abundant. Water from well - still (how long?). Watch the news calmly (except if Russia threatens). Glad started preparing early. This summer plan is to learn long term salt storage of fish - people can bitch about the food crisis if it comes (and inflation), I will be prepared. Rabbit ate the pumpkin plants which still pisses me off. Weather warmer, but no problemos. Maybe get a gun - crossbow is not enough.


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## Alex Fraser (Jul 19, 2022)

Walking at 3pm to get the kids from school yesterday..that was a clear sign something's not right. Even the breeze was hot. Just 20mins in the sun and I felt it for the rest of the day.

Problem is, making any headway against climate change requires government intervention and mandates and still - at least in the UK - there's no appetite for them.

Covid is a good example. When mitigations were a legal requirement, we all worked together to reduce the caseload. When the requirements were lifted, we stopped bothering.


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## Al Maurice (Jul 19, 2022)

Just found out the sun is going through one of its angrier cycles, and is very active at the moment.

It's been predicted a solar storm will hit earth at some point in the next few days -- meant to be 19th July. So it's not just climate change due to us, although green house gases in the atmosphere don't help much.

Hopefully by tomorrow the temperature will start to return to normalish in the UK at least.


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## Roger Newton (Jul 19, 2022)

It's weather. Period.


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## Bee_Abney (Jul 19, 2022)

Roger Newton said:


> It's weather. Period.


True. But as the climate changes, so does the pattern of the weather. That's what some of the folks here have been talking about.


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## Roger Newton (Jul 19, 2022)

The climate has always changed. That is correct. I remember the summer of 1959. And the summer of 1976. Right now where I'm sitting in 2022, there's about to be a thunderstorm in oh, 25 minutes at a guess. Stayed tuned for more weather updates.


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## Bee_Abney (Jul 19, 2022)

Roger Newton said:


> The climate has always changed. That is correct. I remember the summer of 1959. And the summer of 1976. Right now where I'm sitting in 2022, there's about to be a thunderstorm in oh, 25 minutes at a guess. Stayed tuned for more weather updates.


Indeed so. And it can change in directions that are deleterious to human comfort. Or survival for that matter, but I don't want to be dramatic.


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## c0nsilience (Jul 19, 2022)

Yes, it's been brutal here in the mid-western USA for the last few weeks. As someone already mentioned, please stay hydrated with water. We'll get through this! 🙂


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## AudioLoco (Jul 19, 2022)

Roger Newton said:


> It's weather. Period.


It's just weather clearly, although....
If you have children they will probably die from extreme conditions be it hurricanes, heatwaves, floods...
Or it might be a a wildfire or a drought or denutrition.
If it is not any of the above as in for direct damage from the weather it will be a war for resources, water and cooler territory that might do it for them. Another possible death could happen during a desperate migration towards safety, somewhere less hot and with more water. 

I wish your children *all the very best*, nothing personal obviously, just keep not looking up.


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## Loerpert (Jul 19, 2022)

Since we're all doomed anyway. Does that mean we can burn through our life savings to satisfy the GAS?


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## mybadmemory (Jul 19, 2022)

Loerpert said:


> Any scandinavians here? Would love to have a summer house up north. I hate heatwaves.


I’m Swedish but even Stockholm have been around 30 degrees for a few weeks, with highs around 33. This week is a little better. Though I’m personally in Lisbon right now. Around 25 here. Though the last few weeks have reached around 40 I heard.


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## KarlHeinz (Jul 19, 2022)

Roger Newton said:


> It's weather. Period.


This:





has simply nothing to do with "weather". This IS climate change. 

But of course it might help to whistle in the dark.....


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## Loerpert (Jul 19, 2022)

It amazes me how people are "anti climate change" just for the sake of being anti and not bringing up any valid arguments. I have even more respect for those who say: "Yeah, there's a sufficient amount of proof, but I really don't give a shit. I'll be dead in a few years anyway".


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## Rowy van Hest (Jul 19, 2022)

Zedcars said:


> We currently have an extreme weather warning here in the UK. Highs expected to reach 41°C (106°F) in central parts of the country on Tuesday 19th July. We’re not accustomed to such high temperatures. The last few days have been getting progressively hotter.


It's hot in The Netherlands as well, but it will be cooler tomorrow. Just 2 days of hot weather, and things will be normal again. No worries here. Besides, there's air-condition everywhere. Go to the library, if you can't take the heat. It's free, there's a café and you can read all you want.


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## Greeno (Jul 19, 2022)

pinki said:


> Yup its 37 degrees here today in Bristol and the nights not much better…


Hello, I am in Bristol too! so hot


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## Nuno (Jul 19, 2022)

In Portugal, on the 14th July, there were some cities that registered 47 degrees!


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## mybadmemory (Jul 19, 2022)

Nuno said:


> In Portugal, on the 14th July, there were some cities that registered 47 degrees!


I take it by your name here that you’re Portuguese?


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## PeterN (Jul 19, 2022)

Nuno said:


> In Portugal, on the 14th July, there were some cities that registered 47 degrees!


Im more concerned about the drought in Portugal. We are talking months. And its Italy, Spain too. Oh, France....(new wildfires in Greece...whatelse) yes, serious drought almost allover Africa. 

It is not a good time now, with drought allover Europe, and same time they bring down farms. And have energy production issues. Fertiliser issues. Did I mention supply chain. You dont see on news that farmers in many European countries are having huge protests, but they do. If someone can't smell future by now, then.... deal with it when it comes knocking (banging) on the door. Will be great to live in cities and chew Spitfire libraries. "anarchy is 3 meals away"


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## Loïc D (Jul 19, 2022)

Indeed, drought even affects mid-western regions of France too.
Our climate gets dryer and occasional huge rainstorms make a lot of damages. 
Not only in France but also Belgium, Germany,…


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## Rowy van Hest (Jul 19, 2022)

Nuno said:


> In Portugal, on the 14th July, there were some cities that registered 47 degrees!


47 degrees? Luxury! When we were kids, we would have dreamed of 47 degrees. But you know, we were happy in those days, though we were cold.


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## Nuno (Jul 19, 2022)

mybadmemory said:


> I take it by your name here that you’re Portuguese?


Yes, I am, from Lisbon. As a good portuguese, I enjoy the summer, but this time is really too hot for a prolonged time. 

And yes, the drought is serious, i can't remember a year with so low precipitation.


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## The Gost (Jul 19, 2022)

Paris, 41*°C in the shade...... yes, it's climate change !*


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## Brasart (Jul 19, 2022)

40°C at my place (near Paris) today, was doing a 3hrs remote recording session with a voice actress (London) this morning, I was dying and I can't even imagine what it's like for VAs in the studio where you can't have any ventilation or AC going because of background noise.


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## mybadmemory (Jul 19, 2022)

Nuno said:


> Yes, I am, from Lisbon. As a good portuguese, I enjoy the summer, but this time is really too hot for a prolonged time.
> 
> And yes, the drought is serious, i can't remember a year with so low precipitation.


Cool. I’m half Portuguese but raised in Sweden. In Lisbon right now though. Melting.


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## NuNativs (Jul 19, 2022)

Edgar Cayce said that the collective emotional turmoil of humans on Earth are actually the CAUSE of such activity:

Humans & Solar Flares
“The more ye become aware of thy relationships to the universe and those influences that control same, the greater thy ability to help...even as to the sun which reflects those turmoils that arise with thee; even as the earthquake, even as wars and hates, even as the influences in thy life day by day.
Then, what are the sun spots? A natural consequence of that turmoil which the sons of God in the earth reflect upon same.” Edgar Cayce Reading 5757-1


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## Loïc D (Jul 19, 2022)

At noon, I went out to get a sandwich and felt like a furnace outside.
I came back with a panini in my hand.


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## Nuno (Jul 19, 2022)

mybadmemory said:


> Cool. I’m half Portuguese but raised in Sweden. In Lisbon right now though. Melting.


Cheers, mate!


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## oboemaroni (Jul 19, 2022)

Out of interest, what actions (if any) are people here taking to help in tackling climate change? Most of mine are individual choices around where to spend my money, not having a car, eating little meat, and donations to charities like rainforest alliance, feels like a drop in the ocean so I'm always curious to hear what others are doing...


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## Loerpert (Jul 19, 2022)

oboemaroni said:


> Out of interest, what actions (if any) are people here taking to help in tackling climate change? Most of mine are individual choices around where to spend my money, not having a car, eating little meat, and donations to charities like rainforest alliance, feels like a drop in the ocean so I'm always curious to hear what others are doing...


I've been working in the energy transition sector for 4 years as a software engineer. First housing and now EV charging stations. And doing the same things you are doing.


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## angeruroth (Jul 19, 2022)

Keeping energy consumption low (the best I can), not having a car, charity (although not that much; other subjects also require attention). My behavior isn't gonna change the world by itself, I know, but feels good to try, at least sometimes it does, I guess.


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## Paul Grymaud (Jul 19, 2022)

I would rather die of laughter, sorrow, hunger, thirst, tiredness, fear, old age... than die of heat


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## MartinH. (Aug 5, 2022)

Brasart said:


> 40°C at my place (near Paris) today, was doing a 3hrs remote recording session with a voice actress (London) this morning, I was dying and I can't even imagine what it's like for VAs in the studio where you can't have any ventilation or AC going because of background noise.


If ventilation is not an option you can ease your sweaty suffering by holding something cold against your body the whole time. If you put a 1.5 litre plastic bottle of water in the freezer and wrap it in a towel after taking it out, that chunk of ice will last for many hours. Worked wonders for me the last few summers. A friend of mine didn't find it useful though, so YMMV. Afaik the heat isn't what exhausts you, it's the sweating. So if you cool your core temperature down externally, there's no reason to sweat, even if most of your body is still exposed to heat. If the air is dry, wet towels should work too.


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## PeterN (Aug 6, 2022)

US people might want to tune in on the serious drought in Mexico right now.


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## Loïc D (Aug 6, 2022)

Yes, there’s one of the most serious drought in France right now.
Though it’s pretty common every summer in the southern half, now the drought extends to new territories : north, west (Britanny & Normandy), northeast, Paris area,…
So far, we have little restrictions, but some nuclear plants are already running with limited capacity, and the harvest is early with smaller crops.


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## Zedcars (Aug 7, 2022)

The lack of rain seems to be impacting a lot of EU countries at the moment. Forecasters are not always reliable long-term but predict further dry conditions to run into September. Crops and energy supplies are also being impacted:

https://news.sky.com/story/almost-half-of-eu-countries-still-suffering-from-drought-12667870


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## KarlHeinz (Aug 7, 2022)

This morning while getting early to work for aerate and cooling they are mowing on our parking place again.....the dust and dirt (there is not a green blade of grass anywhere on the dry surface).....then blowing the dust and dirt with their leaf blowers.....driving me mad.....simply cause its due....2 weeks gone so its time no matter if it makes ANY sense at all...if we cant stop that kind of madness maybe its really time to leave for the human race and give peace back to this planet. I know, its just a little piece but its simply so:


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## Mike Greene (Aug 8, 2022)

In order to keep this from a political derailment, I've deleted a whole pile of posts. Many of the deleted posts were actually quite good, but since they were in response to various climate deniers, I had to delete some good posts along with the nonsense posts.

(Climate deniers are a proudly unsophisticated group. Here in the U.S., we even had a Senator bring a snowball to the Senate to prove climate change is a hoax. A few recent posts started going in that direction, so it's best we end that particular angle of the discussion now, before it gets out of hand.)


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## dzilizzi (Aug 8, 2022)

Ah, @Mike Greene, you take all the fun out of a good (bad) argument. 

Seriously, though, out here in the desert, when it gets into these temperature ranges, they do have cool spots they advertise, like the library or the mall, that people who are negatively affected by the heat can go to. I am assuming there are similar places to go in areas that don't usually require AC in the home, though maybe they need assistance in getting there?


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