What About This ******* Weather?

Discussion in 'Taylor's Tittle-Tattle - General Banter' started by Moose, Feb 10, 2021.

  1. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Got a couple of sparky mates who both fitted their own built in aircon units a few years back who are considerably smug about it.
     
  2. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Rain on the way :

    Via the BBC.


    Rain begins heading in from the west


    After the blistering heat, we're starting to see a notable drop off in temperatures for some, following a cold front sweeping in from the west.

    Tonight, a band of heavy, showery rain will progress eastwards across Britain, falling as thundery showers in places.

    It's still set to be a tropical night in some places, but will feel slightly fresher than last night for many.
     
    Moose likes this.
  3. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Mmm, it rained here in Brizzle mid afternoon but it's still pretty hot. "Only" reached 35 here though.
     
  4. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    I always imagine that the aircon is the first appliance to fail in hot weather.
     
  5. BeersThen

    BeersThen Reservist

    Drove through the M25 / M40 junction about 4.30pm, big fire kicking off on the left
     
  6. Malteser2

    Malteser2 Reservist

    I wish to apologise.

    With hindsight my post first thing this morning was insensitive and unnecessary.

    I respect now that many people don’t like the heat, and for some of our posters today has been close to unbearable. I’m used to the hot weather, I love the sunshine and got frustrated with the constant nanny state warnings, and people talking about surviving the heat rather than enjoying it etc, but that was selfish of me. Sorry. Global warming is a very serious issue, the most serious actually, and I support all measures to try to reduce it, and like many others I’m frustrated about an apparent lack of action from many.

    Also, the UK does have many positives too, so I apologise for trashing it and possibly offending people.

    I will think more carefully about what I post in future.

    I’ve never read the Daily Mail though. Just to be clear!
     
  7. Arakel

    Arakel First Team

    I've had AC since I moved to the states and it has only failed once: when the outside unit got struck by lightning. Fair enough, I suppose!

    The replacement unit had some issues for the first week (basically it pushing out so much cold air that it froze its own pipes and then stopped cooling), but that was a tuning issue and it has been rock solid ever since.

    As long as you remember to change the filters they are pretty damn reliable.
     
  8. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    Fair enough, but it’s not about disliking the heat. This has been a genuinely dangerous situation that the UK needs to learn from. There have been widespread fires with dozens of people burnt out of their homes, a nursery burnt down. When the adding up is done there will have been considerable numbers of excess deaths of older people and those with long-term respiratory conditions.

    The UK isn’t used to this and the legacy of our previous climate is homes not built to retain either heat or cool. Many people store wood or let dry grass and tinder accumulate in ways unthinkable across Southern Europe. But the long days during Northern European Summet mean it’s a tinderbox if the weather remains dry.

    The ‘Nanny State’ i.e. the Met Office and sensible media was absolutely right to give warnings. Sadly the Government and its newspapers undermined that with talk of ‘enjoying the sunshine’ and ‘snowflake Britain’. Tell the latter to a firefighter today. I can hear sirens as I type.

    We need to prepare for this and ensure, for example, that all care homes have some aircon space, that power and other systems are robust and not beat ourselves up. Then we can enjoy the rarity of a guaranteed beach day on our fabulous coast.
     
    The undeniable truth likes this.
  9. Malteser2

    Malteser2 Reservist

    Yes I wouldn’t disagree with any of that. Hence my apology for my earlier post.

    Mankind has done it’s very best to ruin the planet and my heart goes out to all those still in their younger years who will inherit the mess. I pray that common sense can still prevail and while not being able to reverse the warming, we can at least halt it or reduce its impacts.

    I agree with you about the contribution of the media and in fact I posted yesterday to say that all the front pages bar none had pictures of people on the beach or swimming. At least tomorrow’s will (sadly) have the pics of burning buildings and grasslands and this might help get the message home to people that there are huge downsides as well as a few pleasures during very hot weather.

    I still think some of the Met Office warnings have been slightly ott for what has been after all a 48 hour heatwave but I recognise that for them (and their climate change experts) these past two days has been as much about a landmark and a warning for the future as well as an actual event.

    I hope you will take my apology in the good faith it was intended rather than a ‘fair enough but’!

    Stay safe and cool.
     
    Moose likes this.
  10. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Given our latitude we've a great climate courtesy of the Gulf Stream. A little advice can be useful given that we have had several deaths by drowning. Keeping the advice in the public sphere is not a bad thing. Patronizing advice ? Tell that to some of the MRTs that operate in the Peak and Lake District or elsewhere. People who come without the right clothing, maps, compass, even a phone or neglect to tell others where they are going and when they might be back. And unfortunately while this heatwave has been a matter of two days such events are going to recur with greater frequency and longevity. And we are woefully unprepared. As we are for sea level rise, loss of water resources.

    The whole globe will be in a for a rather nasty shock over the next few decades. Because idiot politicians and big business are still dragging their heels.
     
    Malteser2 likes this.
  11. Lloyd

    Lloyd Squad Player

    Sorry, but you're still cancelled
     
  12. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    As well as today being the warmest day ever in the UK, it was the highest temperature I’ve ever experienced, the previous being 36 C, twice in this country (I’ve never gone abroad to places that get really hot in July-August during that time of year, though I’d like to experience the dry 45-50 heat of Arizona). I also must have experienced the warmest period of rain a few minutes ago - it’s a strange feeling as while the air is still very warm (29 C) and you can smell the warm pavement the rain is much colder, it’s like stepping under a cold shower. Hoping for a big thunderstorm tonight and my room to really cool down over the next 12 hours…
     
    reg_varney likes this.
  13. Heidar

    Heidar Squad Player

    Trust me, 50+ in Arizona is interesting for all of about 2 minutes, though I strongly recommend going north towards Sedona, Slide Rock and of course the Grand Canyon which is much cooler. Hell, keep heading north through Moab, Denver and Wyoming - make a road trip out of it, that's what I did!
     
  14. Filbert

    Filbert Leicester supporting bloke

    The most unpleasant heat I’ve ever experienced was in Florida. Probably only 30ish but the humidity and the strength of the sun was unbearable. The most mental rain storms I’ve ever seen too.
     
    Otter likes this.
  15. LondonOrn

    LondonOrn Squad Player

    I’ve heard about that kind of weather in the Gulf States and people say that only 30-35 C but with that level of humidity is actually just as bad as if not worse than 45+ in dry heat, but how can that be? I said it would be interesting to experience a hot desert climate but more for the novelty than anything, and I’d imagine even Orlando would be more bearable in the long run than Phoenix.
     
  16. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Death Valley was just stiflingly hot.
     
    Heidar likes this.
  17. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    The Met Office are damned if they do and damned if they don't. In the past, they were often given a kicking by the usual suspects in the press, when they failed to predict or give enough gravitas to some of their severe weather event predictions. So the policy now is very much of the arse covering nature, best to paint the most pessimistic forecast then get caught under-predicting and suffer a mauling from The Red Tops and their friends in government.
     
    Smudger likes this.
  18. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    Today and yesterday has been bloody awful trying to keep myself cool and to also to try and do some work. I can remember the previous record in Cambridge in 2019. Reasonble air con at work, followed by a lift in a air-conned electric car into the centre of Cambridge at the time of the 38.7 degree peak followed by a a bus journey home on a ramshackle old double decker portable oven. It thunderstormed in the evening and chucked it down with rain which made it unbearably humid. So my sympathies to anyone who roasted at home, at work, or in some sort of vehicle. I don't think I've drunk so much water in 48 hrs ever before.
     
  19. reg_varney

    reg_varney Squad Player

    You are Charles Manson and I claim my five pounds.
     
  20. Diamond

    Diamond First Team

    So despite being the hottest day ever, standing at Moor Park station at 12.30am in shorts and a t-shirt waiting for a Watford train is still pretty chilly.
     
  21. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    But comparing the two is very much 'apples and oranges' as one lasted from June to September (and was the conjunction of very low precipitation with a prolonged spell of very warm weather) in 1976 (with all of its lack of physical and technological infrastructure compared to today) the other was two days of insane temperatures.

    FWIW over the two days I follwed my own advice (windows, curtains and internal doors shut during the day - opening them when it got dark) and my home's internal temperature didn't get above 26 oC. My shady garden peaked at 39 oC yesterday afternoon at 16h14 (the kids' weather station we got from the science museum, years ago, is still going strong). Weirdest thing was the deluge at around 21h00 - I had to take parasols down - I'd never been in 27 oC rain before...
     
  22. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Meister Manor hit 40.2 Which is 104 odd in old money.

    Curtains closed all day inside and it was still effing hot last night. An hour sleeping on the kitchen floor helped.

    For the past few years I have kept putting off getting aircon installed come the autumn I shall be biting the bullet.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2022
  23. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    Fixed HVAC units are very expensive to buy, install, operate *AND* maintain. For all the use it would be getting it's probably more cost efficient to get a couple of these (one for upstairs and one for downstairs).

    If, if you want to spend money it probably makes more sense to go the 'full' heat pump route in your home.
     
    Smudger and hornmeister like this.
  24. a19tgg

    a19tgg First Team

    Regarding the whole woke/snowflake thing, people moaning about that are really misdirecting their anger. The main reason for all the hype is 24 hour rolling news, and every channel having their own news programmes, and the decline of paid for newspaper content and the subsequent proliferation of click bait style reporting. It’s not that we’ve necessarily got more ‘woke’ (although thankfully standards of health and safety constantly rise in the main) it’s the news channels have to fill space, and media outlets have to sensationalise everything to make money.

    30 years ago it wouldn’t have been as hyped simply because the news was on once a day and you would’ve actually had to have paid for a newspaper to have read about it.
     
    lendal likes this.
  25. The undeniable truth

    The undeniable truth First Team Captain

    Never been somewhere hot on holiday when it raised ?
    I managed to keep room temp to 28 degrees. Trouble is once the differential is down to 5 degrees or so, the breeze created by doors / windows being open actually feels cooler than a stuffy 28 degrees. I opened windows/doors etc once the inside/outside differential was just a few degrees at about 8pm.
     
  26. Malteser2

    Malteser2 Reservist

    It looks as if the mass media have finally woken up to this.

    Every single front page this morning shows the tragic fires that broke out yesterday. Headlines today use words such as hell, inferno and Britain burns.

    Not one newspaper goes with any pictures of crowded beaches, bikini clad females or people eating ice cream.

    The tone of reporting is very different today from Monday and yesterday.

    About time too.
     
  27. Malteser2

    Malteser2 Reservist

    Hi my friend. Yes I wasn’t comparing 1976 v yesterday in terms of actual weather conditions. My comparison was between a world without 24 hour news and social media versus the now. I was merely musing on whether we we better off then because we weren’t exposed to warnings every five minutes or if life has moved on for the better. Personally my own preference would be for something half way between the two. I’m interested to hear other people’s thoughts.
     
  28. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    We had plenty of warnings back in the day. There were many (now celebrated) public information films scaring the bejesus out of kids who might venture near open water or electric pylons. Considering how little TV there was, they had a lot of exposure. Myth and folklore was often thinly veiled-explicit warnings about dangers or dangerous behaviour. I’d say it’s what societies do.

    Social media and 24 hour news is both a great thing and a curse. We haven’t quite figured out our relationship to it. It’s both oppressive and democratising. But it has an off button.

    I’m always sceptical of people’s fatigue about health warnings, scientific predictions or human suffering (compassion fatigue). Everyone is free to ignore, but also free to do.
     
    reg_varney likes this.
  29. Robert Peel

    Robert Peel Squad Player

    I think today's kids would need a spell in a psychiatric ward if they saw any of the public safety films from the 80s. The one about going back to a lit firework still haunts me.
     
  30. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    Whilst those portable units are probably a more cost effective option I haven't actually got any floor space to situate it or anywhere for the hose to go. I only need the one unit in the boudoir, the rest of meister manor can roast. I've been quoted just over a grand but will probably go up by £500 as space is the issue will need to be fixed into the ceiling, piped through the attic to a side wall.

    Heat pumps are *****.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2022
  31. Keighley

    Keighley First Team

    Well surely the warnings were justified given the fires? There was indeed danger to life and property.
     
  32. hornmeister

    hornmeister Tired

    What made me laugh is the BBC banging on all day about this being the first red warning for heat since records began or the system was introduced.

    Then they let slip on the 10 o'clock bulletin that the system was introduced last year.

    We get it, it's hot, global warming etc, but BBC news is getting too sensationalist.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2022
  33. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    I bet it worked though. :)
     
  34. Bwood_Horn

    Bwood_Horn Squad Player

    I have but it was the first time I have ever experienced it in my bit of South Hertfordshire.
     
    The undeniable truth likes this.
  35. Moose

    Moose First Team Captain

    Let’s hope this thread isn’t revisited until we are all freezing our t!ts off.
     

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