The hottest July since 1659!
This has been the hottest July (in the UK) since records, with the mercury hitting a scorching 32 deg C quite consistently. Any of you that has spoken with me over the last few weeks has heard about the discomfort - and while it might sound pretentious coming from someone who has spent his life in Calcutta/Mumbai/Chennai/Hyderabad kind of places, it remains a fact that 32 deg here feels a lot more oppressive than it ever did in India (in fact in India it never felt oppressive). The reason, of course, is simple - fans and windows that open.

But this post isn't about me - it is about the impact on the rest of the British public - and I shall shamelessly quote from the BBC article -

The hottest recorded July day has emerged to have been in Wisley, Surrey, where temperatures hit 36.5C (97.7F).

The highest UK temperature recorded was 38.5C (101.3F) in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003.

In the heat:

Several schools chose not to open on Wednesday, while others closed at lunchtime and many school sports days were cancelled.

On the roads, emergency measures were brought in to protect surfaces with gritters spreading gravel after the asphalt began to melt. Ambulance service bosses urged drivers in jams to stay with their cars after crews had difficulties getting through to an accident.

Heat caused railway lines to buckle in the Midlands on Tuesday and many services from New Street Station in Birmingham were cancelled. Speed restrictions were in force on the West Coast Main Line.

Unions called for employers to keep staff cool and called for a change in the law to create a maximum working temperature.

Water tankers have been drafted in to top up reservoir supplies in the Midlands and a surge in demand for power for air conditioning systems continued to put pressure on electricity supplies.

Water supplies were affected in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Cardiff while in Shrewsbury 70,000 residents were urged to cut water use as filling pumps failed at a reservoir.

Animals also tried to cool off. At zoos, keepers tried to make life more comfortable for the animals, handing out fruit or blood-flavoured ice lollies. The RSPCA issued warnings about leaving pets in areas without cover or water and said two dogs had died of heat exhaustion.

Visitors to the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire were banned from venturing off footpaths by officials fearing fires in dry woodland areas.
- posted by Rallix @ 9:42 AM