• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Another European Heatwave

It's still summer. In 2005 I was in Berlin and on 30 September (!) it was 30°C. The climate crisis is in full swing and it's only going to get worse. Never before in recorded history the water level in the river Rhine was so low. Source
 
And still, here in Kentucky, the dozer blade of "progress" continues to knock down lovely old-growth trees in favor of more parking lots with store frontage that will inevitably be empty in six months.

I've watched this happen time and again. Been hot as a whorehouse on cowboy payday here in the Bluegrass state, and no end is in sight.
 
I am here in the PNW USA. 47 degrees north. Right between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range. Near "rainy" Seattle. Historically temperate climate on this west side of the Cascades.

The summer has been surprisingly mild here. Almost back to the way it was when I was a kid growing up and temps were mostly mild all summer. The previous few summers here have been scorching, and some record breaking. I had a small reforestation project wiped out here by 114 degree temps in June 2020 - literally killed everything unestablished and burnt the south facing new growth of established trees. It was bizarre and apocalyptic. We've also been dealing with large forest fires and heavy smoke in this region every summer. Partly due to warmer dryer weather but also due to poor forest management - we pretty much put a halt to logging and let decades of dense small trees to congest the forest in a very unnatural way leading to tinder box conditions. We are in a pickle here. The environmentalists protest and stop harvest operations but without some kind of intervention we are setting ourselves up for even more disasters. Hopefully the next generation of environmental leaders can be less radical and more reasonable when it comes to timberland management. My kiddo is heading off to the University of Washington next month for an environmental science major. Hopefully her generation can help address these issues in a more pragmatic way.

Another +++ for ductless mini-split systems. Extremely energy efficient, made for retrofit and even easy DIY. I installed one in a loft apartment over our barn and it was very straightforward, and plug and play. The lines come pre-charged with sealed fittings so they just thread together and start making heating or cooling. They use so little energy. a relatively low amperage circuit is all that is needed (and even 120V here in the US). I even bought mine off of Amazon. Easy. And cheap.

Sorry to hear about the heatwave over there. I hope fall arrives soon.
 
Last edited:
I can't imagine no AC in that heat. I wouldn't last long at all. I'm 70 and the older I get the less I can tolerate heat, especially with humidity. I turned down a visit to a Renaissance Faire outing in Wisconsin next week with my daughter and grandson because it is forecast to be 82 (28C) sunny and humid, and there's little shade and no buildings with AC. I can only stand a few minutes in those conditions.

With extreme cold you can bundle up and be fine, but extreme heat can only be escaped with AC.

That said, half of the world lives in heat that I couldn't begin to tolerate.
 
Last edited:
SoCal Sam said:
LA has not had any 100 plus days this year. Anecdotally, cool June means hot late Summer. It will be interesting what the year's Super El Nino does.
Click to expand...
It depends on where in Los Angeles (County)...here in Palmdale it hits over 100F regularly in the summer.
 
I begged my dad to put a mini-split in one bedroom so he and mom would have some respite from the Puerto Rico heat and humidity. Never did it...
 
eiraved said:
It depends on where in Los Angeles (County)...here in Palmdale it hits over 100F regularly in the summer.
Click to expand...
43a833ab-abac-4733-bc1b-c0b6611adf46.jpg

:thumbsup: Pasadena area, CA. "Misiorowski Day."
 
Last edited:
San Diego was my favorite hangout in my 20's (OB Beach, Mission Bay, etc...). Rarely was the temperature that close to 100F but we loved it when it was in the 90's. Perfect beach weather!
 
Last edited:
We were fortunate this summer, only ran the AC a couple of times for a few days. We're in Georgina, Ontario. Only had to water the vegetables and crop a few times. Last year was draught, fire bans.
Feel sorry for the Europeans this summer of heat and draught. Very unusual when a UK summer is hotter than ours.
 
No central air when I grew up. On a few really hot and humid days, kids would sleep in the basement. Now, it's essential. Dew points in the mid 70s the last few days. AC had run a lot this summer. SE Wisconsin. Can't even open a window and use a box fan because it's so muggy and hot. Lots of rain too which is unusual for August.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom