Extreme High Temperatures

130Kph

It was warm enough during the week in Ouargla (Algeria) - 46C according to this :eek:.

I’ve long had a fascination with the highest temperatures recorded in certain regions of the globe.

The highest temps I’ve experienced was 2 to 3 weeks of over 35C in a Boston heatwave (36C to 38C at the maximum).

People in India, Pakistan, the Gulf states, the Sahara and such places seem to take pride in withstanding all that the extreme heat throws at them. But at some point even they admit it is intolerable.

What’s the threshold temp for being able to get a night’s sleep without air-conditioning?

Would you like to live or holiday in regions where temps of 45C to 56C are frequent?

What are your thoughts or experiences on these hot regions?

ronnie3585

I was in Athens a couple of years ago and the highest temperature was 43 degrees. It was fooking horrible, especially being stuck in the middle of a concrete jungle. It was a case of running from one air conditioned building to the next. Even 10 minutes in the sun would leave you a sweaty mess!

I read they hit 51 degrees in northern India last week, it must have been unbearable.

Speedwell

It was 50 for a few days when I was last in Abu Dhabi to train some engineers out there. It was actually much more bearable than 40 degrees back in humid Gulf Coast Texas where the sun beats on you. I actually went and took a leisurely walk in the area around my hotel one day and it felt rather like being in a hot tub. The next day I had booked a tour of the Sheikh Zayed mosque, and I wore what I thought would be modest enough clothing, a pair of long plain loose black trousers and a tunic top with a modest neck and long sleeves. At the door they issued me a black robe and black headscarf, which I had to wear over my clothes. The mosque was not air-conditioned and a lot of the tour involved standing outside. I was soaking wet when I got back to the hotel, but it surprisingly wasn't as bad as I had feared.

130Kph

Speedwell wrote: »

It was 50 for a few days when I was last in Abu Dhabi to train some engineers out there. It was actually much more bearable than 40 degrees back in humid Gulf Coast Texas where the sun beats on you...

I shared a house once with a fella from Belarus and during a -10C cold snap (in England), he said it was brutal cold. He said it felt much worse than say, a not uncommon -25C in Belarus in winter time.

So I guessed one of the components that changes how people feel extreme temps is the ocean versus mid-continental influence.

ronnie3585 wrote: »

I was in Athens a couple of years ago and the highest temperature was 43 degrees...

This is what I was getting at – visiting is one thing but imagine trying to work –either physical or mental – in that cauldron for weeks at a time…it sounds hellish!!

Power cuts are common in India too which makes it even worse.

130Kph

130Kph wrote: »

I shared a house once with a fella from Belarus and during a -10C cold snap (in England), he said it was brutal cold. He said it felt much worse than say, a not uncommon -25C in Belarus in winter time.

So I guessed one of the components that changes how people feel extreme temps is the ocean versus mid-continental influence.

Humidity is the killer. Ditto Canadians. Any I've spoken to detest our winters when they are cold & damp. They thought when it was 1 or 2c here plus dampness was worse than minus 15 or so back home with low humidity.

skywanderer

I experienced 48c in Las Vegas out in the Mojave a few years ago which was a dry heat, then a few years later I experienced 49c in Abu Dhabi both times in July. Abu Dhabi had very high humidity at the time which was very difficult. I have travelled quite alot around the world and one of the most uncomfortable was recently on a trip to the Philippines in the middle of the hot season and the heat index soared to 52c, the effect of clouds of Diesel smoke and the concrete jungle effect was the worst for me. On the flip side the big freeze up on 2010 here was the coldest with I measuring -19c on the car on the side of a mountain here at considerable altitude. I'll take the freezing cold over the heat anyday however.

silverharp

Southern Germany is getting it rough in parts at the moment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3rsN5PJDrg

MrDerp

I lived in Southern California for a while, in an area of paved over desert. There was regularly 10-15 days of 100-108F so 38-42 range, and a couple of days it might have hit 43. A day or two here or there is ok, but that's punishing heat over a couple of weeks. You are constantly switching between air conditioned buildings/cars and extreme heat. It played havoc with my digestive system to the point that I stopped eating lunch and often breakfast. I'd snack on small bits through the day, but built around a single meal in the evening when it was cooler. Even at that, if I ate out, I would probably expell quite urgently within an hour or two. I wouldn't move there, or hotter parts of Australia, or to the Middle East permanently for this reason, even if everyone was complementing me on how slim I looked :P.

It's all relative though. I was working in London during a heatwave last summer - there were regular days of up to 30 degrees but the heat in the city, and especially the tube, was oppressive although the evenings were very pleasant. I've also been to Florida a couple of times, and 30 C there with high humidity is pretty awful. I'd have taken dry heat in California at 40 degrees over London/Florida at 30 degrees any day.

The hottest temperatures I've experienced was 46 degrees in Furnace Creek (in Death Valley). 40+ is routine May to September there, and the heat was oppressive but we were only passing through and stopped for a couple of hours. You're 200ft below sea level there. Again, fine to visit but not to live in.

If you're ever looking for extreme differences, you can drive from Death Valley to the Tioga Pass in the Sierra nevadas in about 4 hours. It's an amazing drive and you can go from 40+ in death valley to below zero, and from -200ft to 9800ft in elevation in half a day. The pass is closed in winter (it connects with the Yosemite area) but if you catch it just after it opens (usually May/June) you'll be standing in your shorts looking at frozen lakes and snow, within hours of baking in death valley.

DOCARCH

silverharp wrote: »

Southern Germany is getting it rough in parts at the moment

The first part of that video is scary! I wouldn't like to be on the upper floors of some of those houses/buildings with cars and vans crashing into the ground floor walls!

silverharp

DOCARCH wrote: »

The first part of that video is scary! I wouldn't like to be on the upper floors of some of those houses/buildings with cars and vans crashing into the ground floor walls!

indeed, Im surprised it isn't getting any coverage , it looks terrible

macnug

Worst I've experienced was 40c we were just sitting by the pool and my arms were sweating!! Never experienced that at rest before.

sryanbruen

Worst I experienced was 36c in Lanzarote of August 2014.

xabi

Spent a week of 40+ in Oz, one night the low was 35, no air con, slept on a tiled floor to keep cool.

sryanbruen

xabi wrote: »

Spent a week of 40+ in Oz, one night the low was 35, no air con, slept on a tiled floor to keep cool.

Oh god :eek:

Buttros

Was in Dubai last June for a few days. Was during Ramadan as well. Was 50c in the middle of the day and the roof top pool's juice bar was closed for the month. Even in my hotel (Sheraton) you couldn't really drink water in public. Had to go down to your room or go to the purpose areas hidden behind curtains (at the ground floor restaurant). Couldn't walk far in the heat or you'd be dripping in sweat. Air-Conditioned Shopping centers or the like were the order of the day.

Stealthfins

My car clocked 29° in the carpark today....

Comhrá

I spent two weeks in Tucson, Arizona a few years back in August. 40-42C most days and it was the Monsoon season there, so massive humidity and heavy-duty thunderstorms most days which were spectacular, but the midday temp/humidity was very hard to tolerate.

pablo128

42°c in Benalmadena last year. It was hard going at times.

JeffK88

Same as above poster 42c last year in Nerja. Kind of heat that makes you sleepy.

LeBash

Had 40 c in New Mexico a couple of years ago. The air was so dry my nose kept bleeding. Couldnt move with the heat. One of the locals told me to drink lots of warm drinks and take loads of salt. Helped but like above, give me 40 below rather than 40 above.

Jimbob1977

I spent a summer in Chicago. The temperature would regularly hit 33c (91f). However, the killer was humidity. It is murderous. Sweat would pour out after five seconds outside.

Other notables.....


o Death Valley at sunset was 35c (95f). Great experience. Like being in a dry oven. I can only imagine when it hits 50c


o Las Vegas at 44c (111f). It wasn't that bad as the humidity was low. Perfectly able to walk the streets


o Niger in West Africa was about 37c (100f). Sahara desert heat. Dry.


o Stockholm at -9c. It was a dry cold. Shuddered the bones for a day. After that... It felt like a cold Dublin -2c. Relatively easy to acclimatise


o The top of Haleakala on Maui. Never felt windchill like it. While it's a tropical island, Haleakala is almost 3,000 metres at dawn. -2c felt like -20c in gusty conditions.

madanall

I have experienced extremely hot temperatures in Australia, USA and parts of Europe. But the one occasion that springs to mind was 2 weeks I spent in Tunisia. It hit 44c over a 5 day period. 4 workers in neighbouring hotels died from the heat over those few days.

pauldry

Was 46c in vegas in May 2005 for a whole week. Got down to 42c the day we left. One night it was 34c . It even rained lightly one day but it was so hot it evaporated before it hit the ground. Never saw anthin like it.

Danno

54c in Ireland during the hottest summer day 1995. I was in a glasshouse. It was almost 32c outside and remember going from 54c to 32c and breaking out in goosebumps from the temperature drop!

skywanderer

Danno wrote: »

54c in Ireland during the hottest summer day 1995. I was in a glasshouse. It was almost 32c outside and remember going from 54c to 32c and breaking out in goosebumps from the temperature drop!

I guess everything growing in the glasshouse died? 1995 was a brilliant summer only 2013 matched it for me.

Disgruntled Badger

Hottest was in the UAE, 48 degrees. Couldn't stand out in it for even a second. The actual worst to bear was Malaysia where it was cooler, like mid 30s, but really intense humidity.

Coldest was north of Finland. -36. oddly enough once you are moving about and dressed in winter gear it's actually quite pleasant. -2 on a wet winter's night in Donegal is far less bearable.

cherryghost

Great memories of 1995...

In August 2012 I believe, I was in Spain, temps were regularly in the mid 40's and the humidity was a bitch. Spent most of the time indoors... I remember someone died of heat stroke down the road too iirc.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

Rikand

Went on our Honeymoon in September 2012 to Vegas and San Diego.

In Vegas it was 40 degrees pretty much everyday. Thank God for the hotel pool

We rented a car and took the scenic route to San Diego Via Death Valley and experienced a very disappointing 41 degrees by way of the cars temperature gauge but we were looking forward to some nice cool temperatures in San Diego.

Over 30 degrees every day and the humidity was 90%. The Santa Ana winds killed us. The heat coming from the interior was so intense. The hottest day of all hit 39 degrees and it was actually one of the coolest feeling days of the week as humidity dropped to zero.


I'd normally be the sort of person that would love extreme heat, but extreme heat with low humidity please

Gonzo

43C in Fuengirola back in the 90s and 28C at night with no air conditioning in the apartment for a month, had many a sleepless night.

seamus

Late 30s in Vegas during our honeymoon. Like others say here, it's a dry heat that's totally different to what we get over here. It's the difference between a grill and an oven - in Vegas once you were in out of the sunlight, it was pretty much OK. Even using the pool it was possible to walk around and lie down beside it without feeling like you're going to die.

By contrast I always found high-20s in the Costa Del Sol really oppressive regardless of whether you were in the shade.

rodge68

I once saw 40 degrees in Las Vegas, it wasn't too bad, not compared to the humidity I first encountered in Bangkok, especially jet lagged and hungover...high humidity has to be the worst feeling.
The coldest I ever felt was in Trieste during December, the was a wind off the mountains that was so strong and would cut you in two..I wasn't properly dressed..

sabat

jacksie66 wrote: »

36c here in Christchurch New Zealand last December. Unbearable heat. Plus the hole in the ozone makes it seem much hotter. I've been all over the world but on a plus 30 summer day here in NZ it's excruciating..

I don't know if it's the ozone or just general differences in the atmosphere but the only time I've felt immediately threatened by the sun was walking around Sydney in about 25 degree sunshine-I was going red after 5 minutes whereas I've been out in daytime in 40+ tropical heat and just got sopping wet clothes for my troubles.

cherryghost

Oh you just reminded me, Tokyo in July is awful. 40+, air pollution, humidity circa 80-90%.

THAT was actually torture.

Polo_Mint

I went from -10 to +35 in 5 hours before.

that was a shock

Dusseldorf to Hurghada at Christmas

vandriver

I was on holidays in Tenerife when a calima hit.
(An easterly wind direct from the Sahara)

Pinch Flat

I was in turkey one year where it was in the early 40s. Could do nothing during the hottest part of the day.

No air conditioning in our hotel room, so it dipped to mid-30s at night. Very unpleasant.

Give me 25 degrees anyday and I'll be happy.

Danno

skywanderer wrote: »

I guess everything growing in the glasshouse died? 1995 was a brilliant summer only 2013 matched it for me.

LOL! Nope, river nearby and a good pump kept me in a job watering constantly! The condensation kept forming on the roof of the glasshouse away from the vents.

Bsal

Very high temperatures in Spain today

Vinculus

I live in province of Pontevedra in Spain and they believe tomorrow's high temperatures are going to break (local) records. Its been above 40 degrees on a few occasions this summer, so I'm not looking forward to what tomorrow will bring.
On a more positive note; At this time of year the temperatures drop considerably after sunset.

DOCARCH

45c being reported at Moron de la Frontera now.

JCX BXC

Was watching Tenerife airport a few weeks ago and the temperature went from 31c to 40c in the matter of 30mins.

harr

Hottest I experienced was 46 in Mexico...on the day we decided to visit the pyramids and all...it was horrible..people were dropping like flies and no amount of water kept me hydrated..

sparrowcar

44c in Madrid during July and 46c for 3 days in a row in Croatia in June. Both times with scouts camping so no escaping the heat. I don't remember the Madrid heat being unbearable but my god Croatia was almost upsetting it was that hot. We had to throw all the tents in the bin when we got home as the material had stretched and torn in the sun.

Rikand

I'm in benalmedena right now and we had over 40c today. It was heavenly!

Bsal

Final figures for the 5th

Vinculus

The temperature has risen from 15 degrees at 9am when I left the house, to just shy of 30 degrees now at 2pm.
I live in a rural area and there's not a leaf moving on the trees.

Tigerandahalf

Vinculus wrote: »

The temperature has risen from 15 degrees at 9am when I left the house, to just shy of 30 degrees now at 2pm.
I live in a rural area and there's not a leaf moving on the trees.

Vinculus

Are you retired over there? I would say it is a nice place to live with proper seasons. I think I would prefer to retire there than in the baking heat of the south. Much nicer having the changing seasons.

Vinculus

No Tigerandahalf, I have still a few years ahead of me before I think of retiring.
Autumn, winter and spring can be glorious here. It does tend to rain a lot during the second half of winter. I have never checked but I've a feeling it rains more here during that time than it does in Ireland. In 2005 it started raining in September and didn't stop till March. Seriously, it didn't stop, it was a nightmare.
The part of Galicia we live in can get really hot in the summer and weeks can pass by without seeing a single cloud in the sky .
We've had a great summer but I'm so ready for the Autumn now.

Tigerandahalf

Cheers for the reply. I have been in Galicia a good few times and Pontevedra is a real nice spot especially the old town.

Parts up there do get very hot. I think Ourense is one of the hottest parts of Spain due to its topography - in a bit of a basin.

Is there much snow and skiiing around there in the winter?

nacho libre

Well, although not extreme, it is forecast to reach 30 or 31 degrees in the south east of England on Tuesday. That will be the warmest September temperature since 1973 in England if it happens.