Thankfully in Paris it doesn't look like we're going to get it as bad as was expected. It's "only" going to be 100f/38c today and 90f/32c tomorrow. Hot, but considering that just a few days ago my weather app predicted 107f/42c, it's welcome.
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
> Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
It is hard to explain to people who don't live in tropical countries, but 16C in Scotland means the sun is still up giving some radiating heat when it directly hits you or the building you are on. 16C in a tropical country means the sun is completely blocked and no direct heat coming towards you.
Think more like 16C at night feels colder than 16C during the day. The temperature in official thermometers is the overall air temperature in the shade which don't benefit from this overall radiating heat.
And of course humidity is also a huge part of how cold it feels. Which is why temperatures around 0C feel colder than -5C (because below zero the air humidity goes away).
How common is air conditioning in Paris? What proportion of homes have air conditioning, either built-in or portable? How about businesses? Does Paris have sufficient "cooling stations", as in, large, air conditioned, public-friendly businesses like malls or community centers?
Fairly uncommon in homes (although I wouldn't go as far as the sibling comment that it's only for very upscale homes—I know plenty of people who are getting equipped). Because the unit has to be outside, there are many historic buildings where you can't install AC. It's less of a problem in other parts of France.
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
The trouble is if you just retrofit aircon with no other changes you actually increase the outside temperature, possibly by more than 2 degrees[0].
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
In my experience most homes/apartments in Europe are stone/cement/brick and many were built before central heating/cooling was a thing. US homes being much newer, and built from wood, means getting air ducts in isn’t such a huge deal. So European homes often heat ultimately via hot water pipes (radiators, heated floors), etc but there isn’t a way to cool using the same mechanisms. Of course this is a huge generalization.
As someone living in Spain, this is the only time of the year when I'm happy to go to the office. Yet, I think people need a tutorial on how to use the AC: it's 38ºC outside, but in my cubicle it's about 19ºC - I would be OK with 26ºC.
If policy makers were smarter technocrats, they would know that passive cooling film technology exists now and can cool surfaces below ambient by rejecting sunlight and having high thermal emissivity (unlike metallic reflectors). Add this everywhere to reduce A/C and lower urban heat island effects.
It’s basically performs optically like snow. Paint doesn’t work because it gets dirty too fast, films can incorporate anti-fouling tech.
Delivery companies are already putting these on their vehicles (look at the top of UPS trucks in the US, if there is a giant white rectangle, that’s it).
AFAIK the top of UPS trucks are mainly translucent just to allow light to shine through, so that you don't have to light up the cargo part of the truck. The cooling part doesn't seems too effective.
As someone who lives in Canada, I can say "performs optically like snow" can be completely blinding. Still, it seems like a good idea as long as we're careful about sight lines.
Currently in Versailles in a hotel without air conditioning (albeit on the shady north side of the building). During the day it's not so bad with the windows closed, drapes drawn, and tabletop fan. (Speaking as someone accustomed to Florida temperatures, humidity, and widely available air conditioning.)
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
The main problem with high temperatures in cold countries is that most homes have a lot of insulation which keeps the heat accumulated during the day trapped in the home well into the night.
In warmer countries that heat usually dissipates by the time you go to sleep because the homes don't have as much insulation.
I was in southern Francz last week. There the heatwave (consistent 34C+ in the day, consistent 24+ during the night) started exactly two weeks ago with a single interruption last Wednesday night (which was nice but caused the wind to fall on Thursday making sailing boring).
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
Readit News
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
Think more like 16C at night feels colder than 16C during the day. The temperature in official thermometers is the overall air temperature in the shade which don't benefit from this overall radiating heat.
And of course humidity is also a huge part of how cold it feels. Which is why temperatures around 0C feel colder than -5C (because below zero the air humidity goes away).
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
[0] https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/30/fact-check-is-air-...
Installing AC is actually not allowed in many places ( because of urbanism laws)
Only possible AC is those single hose mobile units which are wildly inefficient and close to useless while burning energy.
EDIT: I didn't search too long but I found an article from a few years ago talking about the limit being 27 degrees. https://www.elnacional.cat/es/economia/sanchez-limita-aire-a...
It’s basically performs optically like snow. Paint doesn’t work because it gets dirty too fast, films can incorporate anti-fouling tech.
Delivery companies are already putting these on their vehicles (look at the top of UPS trucks in the US, if there is a giant white rectangle, that’s it).
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
Keep cool and stay safe, mes amis !
In warmer countries that heat usually dissipates by the time you go to sleep because the homes don't have as much insulation.
Deleted Comment
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
Night really is the worst, I don't care about the day, personally.
Dead Comment