If we acknowledge that those things that need to be done to counter climate change will not happen, because of vested interests and short term thinking by governments and business, then we individually need to decide what we will have to do to live with the consequences.
As a few examples, we can anticipate that we will have times of very high winds and rainfall, as well as droughts and very high temperatures. There will be less food in the shops, which will also be more expensive. Potable water may become less available.
I don’t have the answers, as everybody has different circumstances. That said, we can all act practically in our local environments. We will also need to build resilience in local communities, not only to fairly share the allocation of scarce resources, but to provide resistance against those who will seek to take scarce resources through aggression.
Its caused by the jet stream creating unusually stable patterns which have drawn significant amounts of hot air from North Africa via Spain and Portugal. This stable pattern persisted for so long that the continuing burst of hot air, moving slowly north reached as far as the UK, and was continually reinforced by more hot air. Air temps of 40C and more are common in North Africa at this time of year.
Now, what caused the very unusual patterns in the jet stream ? Many climatologists are blaming global warming for this, and forecast that this sort of pattern, very rarely seen before, could become common.
So, you don’t have to invent any new source of heat, it’s being brought from somewhere else.
Edit: Of course a warming planet and atmosphere, with more water vapour in the atmosphere as well will almost certainly cause changes in the normally fairly predictable atmospheric system.
Thats very well explained thank you, by the look of it north africa was quite a bit cooler whilst we were sweltering.
I wonder if it corelates with the earths core jet stream shifting the magnetic field?
As far as heat waves are concerned, I feel it’s sometimes ‘too hot to think clearly’ in excessive hot weather.
At the time of writing this, my body temperature is currently 36.7°C, the temperature outdoors is 36°C and 29°C indoors, and my brow is not sweaty, presumably because my temperature is normal, but I feel uncomfortably hot and unable to think clearly.
Google says that it may be challenging to think clearly when the brain hasn’t sufficient glucose to function normally. And when body temperature is raised by excessive heat, the brain needs glucose to regulate body temperature, thereby temporarily depleting glucose.
I don’t know if that’s true or false, but I know I feel like my normal usual self in much cooler weather.
Roll on next week – predicted to drop down to the mid-20s chez moi!
I think you are perfectly right in what you say. I moved from relatively arctic Brittany to near Perpignan a few months ago and it has hit me like a brick wall so much so I have to live in a darkened house and not go out during the day to do anything strenuous. I have never sweated much before but now its like being wrapped in clingfilm and as for drinking water, I was scared of getting waterlogged to behonest (ice cold Tourtel has become a staple). My son said it took him five years to fully get used to the heat so only another four summers to go. I also found it hard to discard clothing I had always been used to wearing and wear less plus the mosquitoes are relentless too and no water or containers that could hold water are on my property.
Not according to him being used to mid 20’sC° most summers previously and it has been hotter chez-lui than currently. In Brittany we regularly got one summer in two when the weather would break end of July and be rain and gales from then on until October. We also lived by the sea where there was a constant cool breeze, here its sweaty heat all the time. Every region is different
I live in central Brittany - recent years have been very different from when we moved here. We’ve had temperatures in the 40s several times this year - and generally in the 30s, with no rain all summer. Viticulteurs are selling up in Bordeaux and setting up here. The world is changing…
Drinking ice cold drinks is actually one of the worst things you can do in heat like this. Warm drinks are much better. The ice cold drink hits your stomach and slightly lowers your core temperature, making the body think it’s too cold and suppressing the sweat reflex. This can cause hyperthermia. If you drink too much, too cold liquids, it can drive you’re body into thermal shock where the body will withdraw blood from the extremities. At it’s absolute worst, it can kill you.
Agriculture is really suffering here. Field after field of sunflowers have wilted, with most on the ground. I stopped yesterday whilst driving past a vineyard a few kms away to look at the grapes. They are all very deep purple but very small and shrivelled like a dried raisin … which is exactly what they are I suppose. It’s really sad to see.
I don’t down a can every day as a habit, its too expensive for that and actually I still believe in a good old cup of english tea for cooling me down as my parents bought me up to do,but finding supplies is getting harder and harder as LeClerc and Carrefour have not had any brands for months, looks like an Amazon purchase in the not too distant future unless they start stocking it again. Probaby another brexit present!
Central Brittany always was hotter than where we were up on the north west coast end always buffetted bythe winds and gales and summer breezes. I had grapes in my garden, figs,peaches and apricots which grew with hardly any attention due to the many micro climates on the gulf stream there. We used to notice the temp going up if we ventured over the other side of the Monts d’Arrée towards Quimper and often went down to regattas at Cap Coz when the children were competing and it was a lot hotter.
Yes - we’ve been going up to a farm between Guingamp and Lannion every Tuesday for a year (my son is doing a course there) - it’s very noticeable that it’s always 2 or 3 degrees colder there, and feels still colder in the usual breeze when you get right on the coast. (Very welcome these days though!)
I liked to weed by hand sitting on a stool, underneath a large dense dark green thick cotton weave garden parasol, which I dragged around with me, to prevent me from overheating.
Keeping the top of the head cool is the best way to keep cool, I think, and was wondering if one of these would work. Am tempted! You can get them here - https://1outlets.eu/go/kool-breeze-solar-hats.
Will we be seeing more contraptions like this as it gets hotter? Not for weeding, but to keep cool under a sweltering sun.
