For my fellow Americans: That’s 118.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Fun fact: That’s also the temperature of Satan’s taint.
Just a Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. Hope it’s at least a dry heat there or they’ll sail over wet bulb max easily, though I’m fairly sure southern Italy does get that hot in July.
The difference is, most people in Phoenix have air conditioners. The danger, aside from the heat itself, is that there is little refuge other than going to a place that does have AC, which isn’t an option for everyone.
Why do Americans always believe that Europe is a homogeneous entity? ACs are rare in the north of Europe. But as an Spaniard currently living in the north of Italy, I can asure you that ACs are super common in both countries.
Part of it is ignorance. Part of it is scale. And part of it is our media (and anecdotal posts) saying that many Europeans (as a whole) don’t have AC in their homes, which is why the heat waves are so dangerous. I’m sure it’s annoying, but it’s kind of like an American getting annoyed if a European only thought of the US as a whole and not per state, as states are comparable in autonomy and size to most European countries. I wouldn’t expect you to know specifics - New York is very different than Florida, which is very different than Iowa, which is different than Alabama, which is very different than California, etc. Hell, the main regions of California alone are all very different from each other.
Since it’s southern Italy, I think it’s a given that the humidity will be high. This is going to pass right over “miserable” and on into “dangerous.”
48 degrees Celsius (predicted temp) and 53% humidity (the humidity in Southern Italy today) is a wet bulb temperature of 38.52 degrees Celsius. In the danger zone.
Yeah, holy shit, that’s really bad. A wet-bulb temperature above 32 C is considered unsafe for normal outdoor activity levels.
I’m sure all this is fine.
NEw noRmAL!¡!
The temperature getting that high in July in southern Italy is apparently fairly common, but no things are not fine. This just isn’t necessarily an example. The 3"+ per hour rain New England is getting this weekend is probably a better example of “not fine” as that’s highly unusual.
I think they were being sarcastic…
Has a mini hurricane in my old town in Southern Germany yesterday. Blew the roof off a supermarket. (Was a Netto so only 52€ of damage to stock was done)
New England never gets heavy rain?
In the last year did I learn about 312852952 different kinds of clouds which are all apparently nOrMaL.
Ahh yes. Very normal temperatures. Super slow onset indicative of periodic warming of the planet over thousands of years. Definitely not man made. Nothing to be concerned about.
It was 38°c the last time I went to Pisa (five years ago now, fuck) and that was utterly miserable at times. Can’t even begin to imagine 10°c on top of that.
Pisa is notoriously shit during the summer, it’s in the middle of a valley and a big slow river runs through it. The humidity in Pisa is insane, and mosquitoes are active 24/7.
My sister lives there and I refuse to visit from June to September.
Ha, it wasn’t that bad when I went but it was during May! A day in luca (I think?) was the hottest day, and Florence was just eurgh.
Being a Brit, I naturally moan about the weather a lot. It’s a different kind of moan nowadays, as it now seems to be humid and uncomfortable more often than not.
Good news! You won’t have to imagine!
I’m reading this in professor Farnsworth’s voice. I’m not sure if that makes things better or worse
The elderly and otherwise vulnerable should be spending a lot of time in the bathtub with lukewarm or even cool water. It’s unfortunate, but this deadly heat wave is looking to be the new normal.
Oh crap. Does anyone know what the humidity range is going to be to convert it into wet bulb temp?
Someone above mentioned this:
48 degrees Celsius (predicted temp) and 53% humidity (the humidity in Southern Italy today) is a wet bulb temperature of 38.52 degrees Celsius. In the danger zone.
That’s bad. 38 is at the upper limit of survivability in general. Might not be survivable for more than a few hours for elderly/sick/children.
To clarify for anyone reading, human bodies lose the ability cool themselves via evaporation/sweating at around 36 wet bulb degrees C, and body temperature starts to rise to match its surroundings. So it’s like having a constant high fever. 40 WB is survivable for like a couple of hours.
This is the temperature in a shadow, right?
Yes
I don’t see any mention of wetbulb temp so that’s kinda good news?
Stay cool my European brothers!
Isn’t the wet bulb temperature measured in real time for it to have a semblance of accuracy?
We’ll probably hear of ot on the days of highest hear. If they reach it.
Test
Could see, didn’t happen yet. People should take the suggestion and protect themselves from it though.
Heatwaves like these always happen in south European countries during July, nothing new. Probably the hottest month in these countries.
If it does indeed reach that extreme will be very scary though.
