Is it really 100 degrees F. in Paris???
Jul 1st, 2015, 12:43 PM
#42
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I've been trying to find reliable statistics for deaths from the heat wave of 2003. The only source I can find that does a direct comparison is this, which certainly doesn't indicate a higher per capita death toll in Italy than in France.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4259#.VZQ11Zztmko
It's very hot here near the Adriatic coast of Italy right now, but not unbearably so. It's one of those odd situations where the heat has hit northern Europe more than it has here. The high today was about 34C (about 93F), with a breeze and fairly low humidity. In the shade it wasn't uncomfortable. So far it's been cool every night, and by pulling down our blinds before it gets hot outside, and by using fans, we've kept it comfortable indoors without using the air conditioning. I dislike air conditioning, and we use it ony a few times perhaps every third year.
Italians have many time-tried methods of keeping their homes cool in hot weather. The most effective, and common, method is to keep it dark in the hottest part of the day. We pull down a large sunshade over our terrace, which keeps the midday sun from striking it, and also close all the blinds on the southern side of the house. On the shaded side, we keep the windows open for ventilation. After the sun goes down, we open everything.
In 2003, not only were the temperatures higher, but they tended to remain high all night. It's true that the ancient stones take a long time to heat up, but once they get hot, it also takes them a long time to cool down. We didn't have air conditioning then, and I really suffered from not being able to sleep; I tried sleeping on the terrace, but it was only marginally cooler. We finally decamped to our summer home, which was still being repaired from the damage of the 1997-1998 earthquakes in this area. There we slept under a blanket, in a bed that was literally open to the stars. (When we weren't there, we kept a large basin on the bed, and in other spots throughout the house; the other bedroom was in even worse condition.)
So far the forecast for this year is calling for fairly low humidity and cool nighttime temperatures, and that I can take. At the moment (9 PM) it's 27 C (81 F) in my kitchen, with a humidity of 40%.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4259#.VZQ11Zztmko
It's very hot here near the Adriatic coast of Italy right now, but not unbearably so. It's one of those odd situations where the heat has hit northern Europe more than it has here. The high today was about 34C (about 93F), with a breeze and fairly low humidity. In the shade it wasn't uncomfortable. So far it's been cool every night, and by pulling down our blinds before it gets hot outside, and by using fans, we've kept it comfortable indoors without using the air conditioning. I dislike air conditioning, and we use it ony a few times perhaps every third year.
Italians have many time-tried methods of keeping their homes cool in hot weather. The most effective, and common, method is to keep it dark in the hottest part of the day. We pull down a large sunshade over our terrace, which keeps the midday sun from striking it, and also close all the blinds on the southern side of the house. On the shaded side, we keep the windows open for ventilation. After the sun goes down, we open everything.
In 2003, not only were the temperatures higher, but they tended to remain high all night. It's true that the ancient stones take a long time to heat up, but once they get hot, it also takes them a long time to cool down. We didn't have air conditioning then, and I really suffered from not being able to sleep; I tried sleeping on the terrace, but it was only marginally cooler. We finally decamped to our summer home, which was still being repaired from the damage of the 1997-1998 earthquakes in this area. There we slept under a blanket, in a bed that was literally open to the stars. (When we weren't there, we kept a large basin on the bed, and in other spots throughout the house; the other bedroom was in even worse condition.)
So far the forecast for this year is calling for fairly low humidity and cool nighttime temperatures, and that I can take. At the moment (9 PM) it's 27 C (81 F) in my kitchen, with a humidity of 40%.
Jul 1st, 2015, 01:00 PM
#44
The Italians have admitted that they lied about the cause of death for thousands of people in 2003. Anyway, who cares now?
France has been very dishonest in the past about many things that might make it look bad, but in this instance they were quite honest. One of my great aunts was one of the victims, although one might wonder what her "normal" lifespan would have been since she was 94 years old and she was in pretty bad shape by then. She passed away in a hospital while receiving excellent care -- maybe of something else?
I frankly do not know much about Italian honesty in compiling statistics, but my guess is that they don't want to look bad any more than the French.
It was hot all across Western Europe in 2003 just as it was in 1976 (when my father triumphantly grew magnificent bell peppers in northeastern France, a place where such things don't have a rat's chance in hell of ever growing and all of the locals were laughing at him -- until they saw the result). My father's bell peppers never made the media reports, but probably quite a few people died in 1976 as well. There was so much less air conditioning back then.
Wikipedia doesn't know everything about the events.
France has been very dishonest in the past about many things that might make it look bad, but in this instance they were quite honest. One of my great aunts was one of the victims, although one might wonder what her "normal" lifespan would have been since she was 94 years old and she was in pretty bad shape by then. She passed away in a hospital while receiving excellent care -- maybe of something else?
I frankly do not know much about Italian honesty in compiling statistics, but my guess is that they don't want to look bad any more than the French.
It was hot all across Western Europe in 2003 just as it was in 1976 (when my father triumphantly grew magnificent bell peppers in northeastern France, a place where such things don't have a rat's chance in hell of ever growing and all of the locals were laughing at him -- until they saw the result). My father's bell peppers never made the media reports, but probably quite a few people died in 1976 as well. There was so much less air conditioning back then.
Wikipedia doesn't know everything about the events.
Jul 1st, 2015, 01:27 PM
#46
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How widespread is this heatwave and how long is it expected to last? It seems that these are not as rare as a lot of folks claim. We were caught in the heatwave of July and August 2013 and were unable to find relief even in the Bavarian Alps. Also, friends were caught up in a heatwave in the summer of 2010 or 2011 through Central Europe at least as far north as Prague. That's at least three this decade.
Jul 1st, 2015, 01:31 PM
#47
Jul 1st, 2015, 04:28 PM
#48
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mokka4 - The last time we were in Paris at the end of September (2011 I think), we had record-breaking heat days in the high 80s. Bearable, but certainly slowed our usual pace. I think TPAYT may have been in Paris then too. So be prepared. We'll be back in September this year and hope for somewhat milder temps.
Jul 1st, 2015, 04:52 PM
#49
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Thanks Maine! I'll be in Switzerland, so hopefully catch a cool breeze on a mountaintop (although it WAS steamy even there in 2003!)
But truthfully, I hadn't been following European weather recently, so I'm glad I ran across this post to remind me of the chance for HOT weather/to pack appropriately.
But truthfully, I hadn't been following European weather recently, so I'm glad I ran across this post to remind me of the chance for HOT weather/to pack appropriately.
Jul 2nd, 2015, 12:02 AM
#50
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Kerouac, I was just wondering where you got your figures, as demography, including historical demography,is my specialty.
And I didn't get anything from Wikipedia; I read it but discounted it, as it was very sloppily written.
It's very difficult to get accurate statistics on such things. If someone goes to the seaside because it's very hot, and drowns in the sea, was that death caused by the heat? Many fatal events, such as automobile accidents, can be indirectly attributed to the heat. Even murder rates rise during heat waves.
And I didn't get anything from Wikipedia; I read it but discounted it, as it was very sloppily written.
It's very difficult to get accurate statistics on such things. If someone goes to the seaside because it's very hot, and drowns in the sea, was that death caused by the heat? Many fatal events, such as automobile accidents, can be indirectly attributed to the heat. Even murder rates rise during heat waves.
Jul 2nd, 2015, 09:20 AM
#51
Well, these figures from INSERM actually put Spain ahead of France (but behind Luxembourg), with Italy just behind:
http://www.notre-planete.info/actual...rts_France.php
Actually, each new study changes the statistics because people have different ideas about how to count the dead, particularly people who were about to die anyway. If they died one day earlier than expected, was it because of the heat? Maybe. Maybe not.
And of course plenty of death statistics are full of lies anyway to hide medical errors and other "incidents."
Other points to consider are the countries who like to flagellate themselves ("We are the worst! We do everything wrong!") compared to the countries who like to blame everybody else to appear better. Contrary to popular belief, France places itself in the 1st category for most subjects.
http://www.notre-planete.info/actual...rts_France.php
Actually, each new study changes the statistics because people have different ideas about how to count the dead, particularly people who were about to die anyway. If they died one day earlier than expected, was it because of the heat? Maybe. Maybe not.
And of course plenty of death statistics are full of lies anyway to hide medical errors and other "incidents."
Other points to consider are the countries who like to flagellate themselves ("We are the worst! We do everything wrong!") compared to the countries who like to blame everybody else to appear better. Contrary to popular belief, France places itself in the 1st category for most subjects.
Jul 2nd, 2015, 01:11 PM
#54
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Will be in France for all of September -- our hotels have A/C, plus bringing my icepack (sometimes my knee swells from arthritis) which can be applied to my head if needed! Some of our hotels (Sarlat, St. Remy) have pools -- so guess I AM bringing a swimsuit!! Can't wait, hot or not..... but we Americaines do love lots of ice in our cocktails I confess.....
Jul 2nd, 2015, 01:24 PM
#55
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Headed to Lyon tomorrow and dreading the heat. We generally avoid Europe in summer but this is business and dates were not flexible. Was hoping to leave the heat we are experiencing here at home behind.
Jul 5th, 2015, 08:22 AM
#56
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I was just there from Tuesday-Friday morning and on Wednesday it was 38C. I loved the heat as I was coming from Denmark. I stayed only 3 nights and then had to fly back to Denmark. It was a total spur-of-the-moment trip down to Paris.
Happy Travels!
Happy Travels!
Jul 5th, 2015, 08:44 AM
#57
aliced - one of the hottest holidays we ever had was in France a few years ago. we were south of the Loire in a rather basic gite [one of DH's "bargains"] and why, in retrospect, we didn't decamp to a nearby hotel I now have no idea.
one night when we were coming out of said hotel, which had a great and air-conditioned restaurant, our car thermometer registered 28C and it was 11pm.
sounds like you've got the right idea - pools And air-con - I'd have killed for either let alone both.
one night when we were coming out of said hotel, which had a great and air-conditioned restaurant, our car thermometer registered 28C and it was 11pm.
sounds like you've got the right idea - pools And air-con - I'd have killed for either let alone both.
Jul 5th, 2015, 08:59 AM
#58
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It has been very, very hot the last few days (hour SW of Toulouse) but the temperature "broke" this morning with a lovely breeze driving out the humidity.
As my San Antonian mom used to say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity," and she was right! Not used to it down here.
As my San Antonian mom used to say, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity," and she was right! Not used to it down here.
