Heat Wave

And in Spain 360+ people have tragically died in this most recent heat wave! Plus wildfires all over the Iberian peninsula and into France causing much destruction :(

In the Shetland Islands in Scotland, it’s forecast to be 14 degrees on Monday and Tuesday, rather than the possible 40 degrees in southern England, so maybe we should all head north? The Met Office is predicting 25 degrees and rain on Wednesday, so the heat isn’t going to last.

I had 41 degrees for a couple of days last month in France. Southern Europe has had much hotter temperatures and for longer.

Heartbreaking to hear of loss of life due to the heat wave. A reminder to us all to always check on our neighbors in an adverse weather situation. So many of the elderly need help.

My family has been in Europe for three of the massive heat waves of the past 7 or 8 years. Twice we cancelled hotels and headed north by train until it was cooler. Bike touring we'd start very early and hide out midday, but one day hit a bad detour and ended up having to ride in 42 Celsius in the Black Forest to the edge of heat stroke. No fun.

New normal unfortunately given climate change, best to be flexible and adapt.

New normal unfortunately given climate change, best to be flexible and adapt.

Sadly very true, I wonder if summer will soon become the new "off-season" 😞

Carlos, interesting thought you have there, buddy. Northern and central Europe are rather dreary in the winter, but is that preferable over no AC and 40 Celsius temperatures? I don't think there's much doubt that summers will get warmer. We will definitely aim for the shoulder seasons going forward.

https://weather.com/news/news/2022-07-15-europe-heat-wave-warnings-fires-britain-france

"Nobody alive has seen a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius in the U.K." weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman pointed out. "That would be a hot day this time of year in Dallas or Houston, much less London."

Carlos, interesting thought you have there, buddy. Northern and central Europe are rather dreary in the winter,

Absolutely, it's so dreary I'm actively considering living in Barbados from November to the end of February. I can't stand Christmas and the hype they give it over here (I'm sure they do in Barbados bit I suspect it's less in your face) and my February birthday is always a damp squib.

I was in Barcelona in December-Jan and it was relatively "warm" most days I was there, hovering around 15-17 c much more desirable than summer at 40c+, even with less daylight. This past April I was back again in Barcelona and the weather was already in the low 20c 's.

The south will definitely be the first to see an significant flip in tourist behaviour, but north of the Alps are also changing fast. In Poland they're growing less and less potatoes and cabbage and more corn and grapes these days. Polish wine anyone? - https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/11/19/whites-and-reds-a-guide-to-polish-wine/

Vineyards were once widespread in Poland, but disappeared amid a cooling climate, the upheaval of wars and occupation, and then decades of communist rule. Now a new generation of winemakers is reviving the industry, and global warming could boost it further.

Interesting that Carlos brought up grapes. I watched a tv show a couple months back that showed areas not historically suitable for growing grapes are now suitable for them while previously conducive areas are no longer conducive. The area conducive for growing grapes has shifted north as global temperatures have risen.

Update - Death toll from brutal heat wave this week tops 1,000 in Spain and Portugal

"Tourist destinations across Portugal are being closed for the safety of the public and, in some cases, due to nearby fires," Roys said. More closures are possible across Portugal, Spain and France due to wildfires and heat."

Also reports now that Europe will shortly run out of natural gas, needed for electricity and A/C