Yeah that seemed a little weird to me. I'm sure they are harder to find then here in North America where you go to Home Depot and you have 50 different choices, and that's before you even get to the central air options. But nobody selling them at all seemed off.
760 die in UK heat wave (mostly under 90°), because only 0.5% of them have AC
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Yeah that seemed a little weird to me. I'm sure they are harder to find then here in North America where you go to Home Depot and you have 50 different choices, and that's before you even get to the central air options. But nobody selling them at all seemed off.
Tornado Condor
Member
It's terrible that so many people died but just how the hell did they die from 90 degrees weather? Is the concept of drinking water foreign to them?
Lol, Buildings that are designed to "keep heat in," will also be good at keeping heat out...
No but with elderly people living on their own with no family its probably something they forget to do.
Not necessarily, depending on the external temperature and the sunshine it can very quite a bit in directionality. Think of a greenhouse for example.
This is like Vancouver. Even new condos don't have central air, just heat. Yet the hallways will be airconditioned.... Boggles my mind. In reality we don't usually need it here but sometimes in the summer it hovers around 30C (~90f) and you just swelter and die in the heat hoping your fan will help.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
You know what I mean
Our buildings aren't designed for heat like this. Thanks for the nitpick though chuckles!Ehm, you do realize that the average life expectancy was so low in olden days because of extremely high child mortality. Anyone who lived past 21 could well expect to reach 60-70 years. (Mind you, that is also an average, healthy individuals could obviously live longer)
See You Next Wednesday
Banned
This happen in France awhile back too.
It was even more deaths than the ones in the U.K.
EDIT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave
HOLY SHIT!!! 70,000 died from a heatwave in Europe in 2003!
It was even more deaths than the ones in the U.K.
EDIT:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave
HOLY SHIT!!! 70,000 died from a heatwave in Europe in 2003!
Liberty4all
Banned
Canada here. I haven't turned off the ac at home since the start of July. Once it gets above 70 ( 23 - 24 c) ac comes on. This year has been particularly brutal above 40 c daily in Toronto with humidity for the last 2 weeks.
deathkiller
Member
Lots of old/ill people die every year due to heat around the world, for most of them it just mean that they died a bit sooner than they would normally.
shira
Member
90 degrees, that's almost near boiling. I don't think humidity makes a difference
littlebirdtoldme
Banned
euro houses have better isolation than american.
Green houses aren't insulated to keep heat in.
A properly well insulated house will both keep heat in or out. We don't live in greenhouses.
poppabk
Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
In what way are you not hydrating when drinking soda?
I think that figure is a fallacy.
Old people dying is being out down to that heat, also included in that figure for example is a guy a few miles away from me who fell off his roof while sunbathing.
Razgriz-Specter
Member
Cant be more than it is in the south
Yeah, I'm just saying it is not a given for all construction methods. My house for example has floor to ceiling windows on the north side. I live in the southern hemisphere. It causes problems in summer from being too hot, and problems in winter from being too cold.
BlackGoku03
Member
There was a heat wave while I lived there for 5 years. People died then too but it was no where near this high.
I lived a long time over seas and when I came back, I would catch colds in the summer because I wasn't used to AC. I was sweaty and hot in the Carolina heat (discovered anti prespirent deodorant) and freezing in the AC in the house. It took years for my body to get used to it as an adult.
I lived a long time over seas and when I came back, I would catch colds in the summer because I wasn't used to AC. I was sweaty and hot in the Carolina heat (discovered anti prespirent deodorant) and freezing in the AC in the house. It took years for my body to get used to it as an adult.
Its probably old people and young children so how about don't be a dick.
ginger ninja
Banned
thread about uk, discuss temperatures in fahrenheit..GG
GillianSeed79
Member
Boiling point of water is like 212 degrees. 90 degress is hot, but in the U.S. it isn't uncommon. Shit in places like certain parts of Texas or Arizona, 100 plus degrees during the summer is pretty common. Humidity does make a difference though. 80 degrees feels cool where I live but in Florida with humidity 80 degrees feels like 105. Hell, we're having a heat wave where I live on the East Coast and the heat index has been up around 100 degrees plus for the last week. I just think Americans are used to air conditioning. I just wish I had central air. I've got some shitty portable air conditioner and on full blast the room only gets down to 79 degrees.I live in a brick apartment building too, so the bricks bake in the sun all day and when I come home at night it feels like walking into a pizza oven. I actually enjoy visiting my parents this time of year because they have central air.
It's kind of insane so little people have air conditioning in the U.K. I guess you guys don't get extreme heat often.
BlackGoku03
Member
They almost never do. A lot of houses in Germany didn't have it either.
I imagine they dont keep much stock. I haven't been able to find even a fan for weeks now, everywhere is sold out.
Anyway, people here just aren't used to this kind of heat. Another sad fact is that drowning accidents are at a high at the moment. Again, people here aren't used to swimming in the sea etc. because we usually just don't have the weather for it. I'm in Ireland by the way, next door to the uk...we've had the same weather here the last couple of weeks. I think most people welcome it, though.
Yeah. As has been said, it's not AC that people need, it is the information and skills to know how to cope safely without AC. When you come from a region that experiences high heat, it seems like common sense stuff that people would know, but unless you grew up or have experienced it long term, those automatic skills just don't exist.
Are those any good? I've been giving some serious thought to buying one if I can fit it in my budget.
Yeah, I was looking for one the other day also and found lots of places sold out. Except for the super expensive Dyson ones that nobody wants.
I bought one out of desperation a few summers back, it is shit. You need sliding windows to be able to vent the hot air without it coming back in the house, the power of it is shit, I didn't bother with it after a few days. I think you are better off getting an evaporative unit for much less money.
Forceatowulf
G***n S**n*bi
AC is like the greatest invention ever... wtf UK. Is it a cost thing? It better be a cost thing...
Yeah, us Brits struggle with the heat. I can't speak for everyone but personally, I've been pretty miserable for the past fortnight or so.
My room gets very very hot, and the sun beats down on my window most of the day. It's like an oven, even my ceiling and walls are warm to the touch. I've been drinking lots of water and walking around in shorts but the nights are the main problem for me and most people. There's just no escaping it.
I understand why people are surprised we're fairing so poorly with the weather, more so due to the fact they live in even hotter areas with no problem, but the fact is, we're just not used to this heat, or at least this consistent heat. It's the longest heat wave we've had in 7 years, we just don't get weather like this. It'll be getting even hotter in the next few days, and I'm genuinely worried. I've never been very good with hot weather.
The people perishing are the old and vulnerable for the most part. They're obviously not as hardcore as you.
My room gets very very hot, and the sun beats down on my window most of the day. It's like an oven, even my ceiling and walls are warm to the touch. I've been drinking lots of water and walking around in shorts but the nights are the main problem for me and most people. There's just no escaping it.
I understand why people are surprised we're fairing so poorly with the weather, more so due to the fact they live in even hotter areas with no problem, but the fact is, we're just not used to this heat, or at least this consistent heat. It's the longest heat wave we've had in 7 years, we just don't get weather like this. It'll be getting even hotter in the next few days, and I'm genuinely worried. I've never been very good with hot weather.
The people perishing are the old and vulnerable for the most part. They're obviously not as hardcore as you.
Buy a couple cheap large floor fans if you can find them. Wear a wet shirt. Enjoy.
Better yet, get yourself one of them water-spraying fans for maximum effect.
Jesus. 90° Fahrenheit/30° Celcious is considered to be a mild late July/August day here in Greece.
GillianSeed79
Member
This thread reminded me of this thread: DIY Air Conditioner for less than $20.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=613876
It's hot as balls where I live in the U.S., so if any of you in the U.K. want to try this out let me know the results, because I'm willing to try it too. I believe we call this a swamp cooler where I come from.
Also, PROTIP: If any of you go out and actually buy a window unit AC, make sure it's secured in your window, like nailed into the window frame or something. Where I live, having an unsecured window unit is like giving a burglar a key to your house. They'll just push it in and rob you blind. This happened to me once. I still have the unit. I'm tempted to try to set it up again, but I live in an old building and the windows are weird. I can't take this fucking heat though.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=613876
It's hot as balls where I live in the U.S., so if any of you in the U.K. want to try this out let me know the results, because I'm willing to try it too. I believe we call this a swamp cooler where I come from.
Also, PROTIP: If any of you go out and actually buy a window unit AC, make sure it's secured in your window, like nailed into the window frame or something. Where I live, having an unsecured window unit is like giving a burglar a key to your house. They'll just push it in and rob you blind. This happened to me once. I still have the unit. I'm tempted to try to set it up again, but I live in an old building and the windows are weird. I can't take this fucking heat though.
Not being able to find a fan, I've resorted to using those reusable heat/cold first aid packs. Pop them in the freezer for 90 minutes...they're like a reverse hot water bottleAnd they stay cold for a fair while.
Clever
But for 30 pounds, this might save a life: http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=871407They have these? I need one for this summer!
Ha. It's been pretty hot here and I work in a crappy little sweatbox of an office. No AC. No fan, windows are nailed shut. On friday I was imaging a couple of laptops and the sweat was rolling down myu face. The sun was beaming through the shade behind me, god only knows what temp it was. Too Hot...
Nights are the worst though. I need a nice cool room to sleep. Anything north of about 10C and I start to sweat.
Oh and I've been feeding our big shaggy dog ice cubes, poor thing has a permanent winter coat on.
Nights are the worst though. I need a nice cool room to sleep. Anything north of about 10C and I start to sweat.
Oh and I've been feeding our big shaggy dog ice cubes, poor thing has a permanent winter coat on.
Except most Texans wouldn't survive during a Texas Summer if they didn't have AC.
This is like AC Country out here.
Speak for yourself. I can handle the cold, but this heat is unbearable.
Clever
They have these? I need one for this summer!
I highly recommend it. I got one for like 50 and it is as effective as my AC while wasting far less energy.
We get a long, hot summer so very rarely that air con is a waste of money. I think we had maybe a couple of days of decent, not even hot weather last summer, the rest of the time was just cool rain. I remember buying a load of shorts and t-shirts that I never wore. 1976 was the last time we had such a prolonged heatwave.
It's the same situation with the snow. There's been no investment in infrastructure because we haven't ever needed it. The last couple of winters haven't been that bad down here in the south. There was quite a lot of council investment in grit, etc. that we just haven't really needed since we were caught out in December 2010.
The sheer amount of rain we get usually keeps the extreme temperatures at bay. 5 degree C rain in January, 21 degree C rain in the summer. Just how we like it!
I'm fasting
You can fast all you want, just drink water.
Clever
Fuck, homebase has fans in stock? *browses their fan category*
EDIT: you lied! it's out of stock everywhere near me :/
In many countries, there are like only 2 months worth for AC. It's smarter to build good isolation in your house to keep the heat in during winter and keep the heat out during summer.
AC is like the greatest invention ever... wtf UK. Is it a cost thing? It better be a cost thing...
Also I'm not a fan of AC in cities unless the building design is smart and reuses the heat of the AC.
Nothing1016
Member
My friends and I go running outside when its like 100+ outside. I wonder what the circumstances these people were under to die. Do people in the UK not drink water??
i just feel like it isn't a heat wave then
was around 98 degrees Fahrenheit in chicago a couple days ago..with about 65% humidity
AC is like the greatest invention ever... wtf UK. Is it a cost thing? It better be a cost thing...
Its not a cost thing. Its just usually pointless. This is about the first time since 2006 where anyone would have turned it on.
it hit 31 degrees C at 49% humidity where I live last friday, but we've been given i nicr break in the form of light showers and overcast skies its been about 20 here since temp wise
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