BakedPigeon
Banned
I had to work outside on a concrete slab all day long when it hit 117 last month here in phoenix. 90 degrees sounds like a paradise to me right now.
760 die in UK heat wave (mostly under 90°), because only 0.5% of them have AC
- Thread starter Korey
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Seriously, the way some gaffers can't seem to accept that our country is completely different to theirs is fucking embarrassing
not just that but also failing the concept that the old and vulnerable are probably the majority if not all the people that have died from the heat.
Those 540-760 people actually died of old age.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
Yeah, thats the worst for me. Bragging about how hardcore you are compared to someone on their last legs.
Cereal KiIIer
Member
Anyone want to get rich? Open a AC store/repair shop.
Yeah, everywhere has sold out of fans. We got lucky at the start of this week, but a few guys from my office have spent quite some time trying to track down some in stock.
The guys in Maplins have been having great fun - they're like kings.
Yup. And by the time you've got the lease sorted out, planning permission for your signage, stock ordered, etc. we'll be back in good old 17-20 degree rain.
But never mind, you'll be ready for the next extreme heatwave in 30 years time.
UK is just weird, I would have ac to be more comfortable, even 90f with cooking in the house is just not comfortable
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
The heatwaves feel like they are happening every other year or so! That said, there really isn't any use for AC here in the UK, it would be a waste of money for most people, most years.
Seriously, I could only imagine that this is the case. I think that it's a matter of pure biology that humans won't drop dead in temperatures that low. My 94 year old granny didn't have AC until she moved into her new place about a year ago, it's not just that old people die when it gets over 35c. Maybe the very ill in hospital though I guess? Pretty tragic.
I hope that the UK gov't tries to create a media campaign or something for this. In that heat you need a fan, you need to have regular water and not be out in the sun. I'd imagine that an elderly person who wasn't used to the conditions could easily put themselves into danger, as apparently has occurred.
I went in Maplins the other day, they were out of stock too. Also tried John Lewis and Argos, no luck.
I'd buy one if I could find one! But everywhere is out of stock of everything except those multi-hundred-pound Dyson fans.
We get one summer like this in like every 10 years. And because it's so rare people just go out and enjoy it, and maybe enjoy it a little too much. Keep yourself hydrated, just like you would when on holiday in the med or something and you're fine.
But it's sad to hear of deaths never the less.
But it's sad to hear of deaths never the less.
Lord Ghirahim
Member
90°F doesn't even qualify as hot, so those figures seem really problematic. I guess the insulation turns UK houses into ovens?
Yes, I walk in to my flat after a day at work and it's like walking in to a sauna.
I think people are overlooking the fact that most that died are going to be the old and infirm. It's not like we're idiots in the UK......
Air Zombie Meat
Member
The figures are an estimate and are mostly about the heat being a contributing factor in the death. We're not talking about healthy people dropping dead. The old and the frail basically.
edit: heres how the figures were calculated:
from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-23367459 Much better article than the derpy american one in the op.
Maybe not for you, but when I stand in 32C heat (which is a complete anomaly for this country) I feel like i'm melting
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
90 Celsius is probably a bigger deal than 90 Fahrenheit.
TheLegendOfMart
Banned
Gee what a surprise, Americans who are used to living in a hot climate are acting all superior compared to those who for most of the year have temperatures that are sub 10 degrees celcius.
I'd like to see how "y'all" cope by not using AC.
I'd like to see how "y'all" cope by not using AC.
It can be pretty jarring for people rarely exposed to that level of heat. The human body also needs time to adapt to consistent high temperatures.
This probably gives a more balanced view of things rather than the sensationalist bullshit in the op.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check/2013/jul/18/sun-heatwave-deaths-hot-weather
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/reality-check/2013/jul/18/sun-heatwave-deaths-hot-weather
Sorry, didn't see an out of stock message
Yeah with Homebase / Argos etc you have to put your postcode in and check stock levels
Argos doesn't have any fans in stock at the nearest 10 stores, even.
Lamel
Banned
This doesn't mean what you think it means.
Two soldiers training for the Territorial Army SAS died as well last week.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/15/brecon-beacon-soldiers-sas_n_3597183.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/07/15/brecon-beacon-soldiers-sas_n_3597183.html
Not Spaceghost
Spaceghost
Yeah people need to drink more water, last year when the DC area lost power for like a week due to the fucking wind storm we survived 90 degree + weather without AC just by drinking water and cold showers.
well y'all do seem to have it hard no matter what the season
peanutbutterlatte
Member
It does seem like sensationalist journalism to some extent... but that one instance of that postman who was 29 dying is just sad.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
There's 300+ Million people in the US, so roughly 30+ million have no AC, so yeah, most of the people you know fall into the other category
Statistics how do they work?
Rug Monkey
Member
It's not worth it for 2 weeks every 2 years
Also I make sure my family not only rehydrates but also replaces the electrolytes they lose from sweat etc
RustyNails
Member
Yes you were hanging out in 108 degree weather today. But then you came home and flipped the air conditioner on.
Douchebag.
Not one person I know doesnt have one.
kobashi100
Banned
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kobashi100
Banned
I in the UK and the weather nice.
Dont buy all this
Been fasting through the hot weather and its not too uncomfortable.
Its great to get some damn sun in the country as it is cold and wet way too much.
Dont buy all this
that you here people say.
Been fasting through the hot weather and its not too uncomfortable.
Its great to get some damn sun in the country as it is cold and wet way too much.
Jezbollah
Member
I live in a west facing apartment block, with all three windows on the same aspect. So I dont get a draft. I work from home, so my second bedroom is my office - so in the afternoons this summer it's getting pretty hot. Even so, I have only had my aircon unit (which I bought for scenarios such as this) on once this summer. People who have the ability to get out and about have the ability to stock up on fluids and get preliminary treatment if they get dehydrated. I would suggest the vast majority of deaths are from elderly people who are not mobile enough to get such fluids etc and dont have people around visiting them on a regular basis to ensure they are correctly hydrated.
With regards to aircon usage over here, I would suggest that the majority of users of AC units are those who live in high noise areas (such as the vicinity of Heathrow airport - people that need triple glazing windows to keep the noise out, while keeping cool with the AC). The British summers are not hot enough on a typical basis to need a dedicated AC unit, and thus those home solutions are not purchased often and prices remain high. Temperatures in the UK are very tame compared to other parts in the world - our infrastructure considers snow and heatwaves as extreme events - not normal - and thus investment is not typical to counter this, simply because they are rarer than usual.
The last big heatwave here was 10 years ago. Stories people hear about rails breaking, and motorways melting should be an indicator that designers of such products dont budget these weather events happening on a regular basis and budget accordingly. There is also a perception that it rains all the time here, where as the fact remains that there are parts of the country that are dryer as parts of the middle east.
The number of 760 is pretty startling to look out without proper context, but compared to other countries in Europe that experience hotter summers on a more regular basis, that number will be lower end of the per-country casualty list come the end of the summer.
With regards to aircon usage over here, I would suggest that the majority of users of AC units are those who live in high noise areas (such as the vicinity of Heathrow airport - people that need triple glazing windows to keep the noise out, while keeping cool with the AC). The British summers are not hot enough on a typical basis to need a dedicated AC unit, and thus those home solutions are not purchased often and prices remain high. Temperatures in the UK are very tame compared to other parts in the world - our infrastructure considers snow and heatwaves as extreme events - not normal - and thus investment is not typical to counter this, simply because they are rarer than usual.
The last big heatwave here was 10 years ago. Stories people hear about rails breaking, and motorways melting should be an indicator that designers of such products dont budget these weather events happening on a regular basis and budget accordingly. There is also a perception that it rains all the time here, where as the fact remains that there are parts of the country that are dryer as parts of the middle east.
The number of 760 is pretty startling to look out without proper context, but compared to other countries in Europe that experience hotter summers on a more regular basis, that number will be lower end of the per-country casualty list come the end of the summer.
Marvel
could never
Supermarkets and some Banks do.
Jezbollah
Member
Most UK stores have air conditioning - as Health and Safety laws are implemented to ensure a safe (read: comfortable) working environment for employees.
Only 90 degrees F? Wow. People dying from those temps seems so foreign to me, as an Australian living in the north east coast that's 2/3 of the year for me. Fans are a must, even if they're just crazy cheap pedestal fans. That and hydration. AC is nice and all but opening the windows and circulating some air with a fan cools things down enough most of the time.
Monty Mole
Member
AC is like the greatest invention ever... wtf UK. Is it a cost thing? It better be a cost thing...
It's because the weather is generally very mild in the UK, so we'd only use it for a few days of a year normally. UK is a nation of central heating - we spend money on that instead. We're more likely to have extreme winters than extreme summers.
That said, nearly all workplaces/shops/etc have AC in the UK. And of course, cars.
Also, this "760" figure is bollocks.
Alx
Member
That's a sure recipe for failure... AC is just not in the culture in northern Europe for private homes, they're not needed most of the time, and many people still live in old houses that are meant to keep cool in summer and warm in winter.
Of course it leads to occasional situations like the current one, where mortality among the elderly can increase, but AC won't be regarded as the solution. Since a similar (actually bigger) wave of casualties happened here in France for the same reason, some procedures were set up to check on elderly people, make sure they drink enough etc, but AC is rarely mentioned.
More Fun To Compute
Member
If only gun ownership was legal in the UK then this never would have happened.
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