Why does heat ‘hit differently’ in Europe? | ABC NEWS

 

 

You might be able to tell from the moisture developing on my brow and my shirt now actually that it is hot here in the United Kingdom. In fact, it's

secondsnever been hotter. The temperature record for June has been broken for a third day in a row. And before Wednesday, that record had stood for 50

years now. The temperature that was recorded was 36.9° to break the record. And I can sort of hear the eyes rolling from all the way back in Australia. 36.9° in summer.

that's not that hot. Well, the truth is in Europe and the United Kingdom, the heat just hits differently. And there's a few reasons for that. The first is

that cities aren't really built for the sweltering conditions. In the United Kingdom, just 4% of homes have air

conditioning. In fact, 12 million people live in old Victorian era homes like the ones along this street, which retain theheat. 30% of retail spaces, just 30%, have air conditioning. And even pubs, just 3% of pubs have air conditioning.

So even your local watering hole doesn't give you the respite. We've been speaking to punters across London today and they're finding it tough to stay cool.

It's hard stuff. Yeah. With no AC, the heat is just too much.

I was talking to my daughter who's in France where it's 5° hotter and and the word is insupportable.

So I thought that's a good word. It's almost impossible really. I'm hot, mate. Very hot. I'm too hot. It might be too hot.

Too hot, mate.

Drink lots of water, stay hydrated, and don't try and work too hard.

Another reason why the heat hits differently here is the fact that people just aren't used to it. In fact, that's probably my cue to get in the shade. So,

scientists say that uh global warming is causing hotter summers all over the world, but in Europe and the UK, it's warming twice as quickly. In fact, on

the continent, there have been temperatures soaring past 40°. And there have been some tragic consequences with several deaths as well. Now, authorities

are urging people to stay out of the sun, stay indoors, and stay hydrated.

That's probably my cue to go in and get a

 

 

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