Are people really that thick?

[classic33]

If you look at temperature records,

• in the 70s hottest temperatures ranged from 28 to 35.9 with two years being above 34 and 6 years below 31.
• in the 80s hottest temperatures ranged from 29.4 to 34.4 with only 1 year being above 34 and 6 years below 31
• in the 90s hottest temperatures ranged from 29.7 to 37.1 with two years above 34 and only 2 years below 31
• in the 00s hottest temperatures ranged from 30.1 to 36.5 with one year being above 34 and only 2 years below 31
• In the 10s hottest temperatures ranged from 31.7 to 38.7 with six years being above 34 and no years below 31
• In the 20s hottest temperatures range from 32.2 to 40.3 with 3 of those years being above 34.

What was previously a hot summers day was a hot summers day. What is now a hot summers day is potentially life threatening. Our houses have not changed - they are designed to keep heat in. We are not built to cope with heat like a Mediterranean country.

In 1976, 1990, 1995, 2003 and 2013 we had heatwaves. We have now had heatwaves every year since 2018 and more of them.
In 1976 we had 16 consecutive days of heatwave with the highest June temp ever recorded of 35.6c. June 2025 has been hotter if you look at average temperatures.

And then when we get a bit of cold weather we have people telling us we aren't built to cope with the cold.

Which years?
2003: 38.5°C Brogdale 10/08 and 2006: 36.5°C Wisley 19/07.
2007: 30.1°C Terrington St. Clement & Wisbech 05/08 and 2008: 30.2°C Cambridge 28/07

In the winter of 2003/04 we'd a still air temperature of -15C, for two days, in the morning, in a row. With -10C for nearly a week.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Indoors with the AC going.

My portable AC in the bedroom has made a huge difference.

 

[sevenfourate]

Yes they are.

I work for a successful company. We succeed because we manage to be slightly more intelligent than those around us more often than not. **And none of our small management team claim to be incredibly bright. We just use common sense and a bit of forethought. The same qualities which help stop you getting burned in the midday sun. Or dying of hypothermia in Mid Winter wearing only a T-shirt….

 

[Psamathe]

Just got home from afternoon cycle (Norfolk).

Local road was surface dressed maybe 3 weeks ago (rural) and had patches of glistening tar where cars had accelerates flinging grit away from now soft tar.

Fantastic weather. Good ride. Had spent morning replacing parts (tyres, some chain tubes, idlers) and one new idler squeaking a bit.

Ian

 

[Pblakeney]

Currently indoors hiding from the sun after going out on the bike at 05:45 for 85 kms in winter gear.
Why? On anti-lyme disease meds which means you can't go out in the sun uncovered. Or drink alcohol. 'Tis hell in a first world problem way.

A point of reference. In normal conditions today is the kind of day I'd have got up early for to do 280kms.
(I like to do one of those a year and today was as good as it gets weather wise).

 

[icowden]

And then when we get a bit of cold weather we have people telling us we aren't built to cope with the cold.

Because we aren't. We are unusual in being very temperate. We don't get deep freezing winters so we don't have snowploughs and gritters running for 4 months. Traditionally we also don't get very hot, so our houses are built around keeping us warm when the frosts come, and in the summer we don't get so hot that we need highly ventilated houses that let out the heat.

But we are now getting extremes. There are two houses on my road that have air conditioning now.

 

[Bazzer]

The section of the (open) office I worked at for 5 years up to the end of 2006 faced exactly South with also windows facing to the East and West. Despite blinds closed all day on sunny days, there were several times I left work at 6pm with the room thermometer showing 38C.
It has occurred to me several times since I moved from working there, that unless air con has since been installed, which would have cost a serious slab of money, the higher temperatures experienced of recent years would make trying to work there unbearable.

 

[presta]

What's wrong with black, whatever the time of year!

A repeat of an experiment I first saw 60 years ago at primary school:

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Indoors with the AC going.

So are we

AC is powering the telly to watch Wombledon and the fan to cool the room down

In come in from the cables like that

 

[Pblakeney]

The section of the (open) office I worked at for 5 years up to the end of 2006 faced exactly South with also windows facing to the East and West. Despite blinds closed all day on sunny days, there were several times I left work at 6pm with the room thermometer showing 38C.
It has occurred to me several times since I moved from working there, that unless air con has since been installed, which would have cost a serious slab of money, the higher temperatures experienced of recent years would make trying to work there unbearable.

Something we discovered a few years ago while I was working - There is/was a minimum H&S temperature for office work but no maximum.
Which is weird as you can always add layers.

 

[DRM]

This^^

Factory work and outdoor jobs are a different ball game to a pen pushers life.

Yes, whilst sat in my van filling out a job sheet on the laptop at one job, parked in a concrete warehouse yard, it was 37-38 C on the dash display with the heat bouncing back off the concrete, all the while our uniform consist of thick black work trousers that are perfect for winter, it's not nice at all.
Talking of thick, Greatest Hits Radio News interviewed some chump saying they'd just come back off holiday from a hot country, that doesn't have a problem with reservoirs drying up, this particular thicko probably couldn't grasp that hot countries are set up to run as hot countries, just like Scandinavian Countries are set up to deal with snow, we aren't because we don't get such extremes, it's not the norm for the UK

 

[cyberknight]

Betty swollocks all night for me. As soon as you walk onto the factory floor the heating hits you like a wall.constantly sipping water to try and keep hydrated.

 

[classic33]

Because we aren't. We are unusual in being very temperate. We don't get deep freezing winters so we don't have snowploughs and gritters running for 4 months. Traditionally we also don't get very hot, so our houses are built around keeping us warm when the frosts come, and in the summer we don't get so hot that we need highly ventilated houses that let out the heat.

But we are now getting extremes. There are two houses on my road that have air conditioning now.

July 1977 saw a low of -2°C recorded in England. Extremes are there every year, and will remain.

 

[classic33]

Something we discovered a few years ago while I was working - There is/was a minimum H&S temperature for office work but no maximum.
Which is weird as you can always add layers.

But, if the majority working in one area, find the temperature too much then the employer has to take action.

Worked in a shop where the temperature reached 50°C, and no airflow due to the design. Measured with a digital thermometer, not the required liquid filled one, so it couldn't be used.

 

[icowden]

July 1977 saw a low of -2°C recorded in England. Extremes are there every year, and will remain.

But will and are becoming more extreme for longer. That's the problem.