760 people die in UK heat wave, 'sweltering' temperatures of up to 32C/90F

[Deleted_171835]

The U.K. is enduring a serious heat wave that has resulted in an estimated 540 to 760 deaths over nine days. Yet the highest the temperature has risen is 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of the time, temperatures have hovered in the high 80s, which, while toasty, doesn't seem like it could kill hundreds of people.

One reason for this is that air-conditioning is relatively rare in England. Only 0.5 percent of homes in the U.K. have air-conditioning, according to the BBC. Compare that to the United States, where an estimated 87 percent of households have an air-conditioning unit.

http://theweek.com/article/index/247184/why-80-degree-temperatures-kill-in-the-uk

 

[Dork]

90F is enough to kill? Man, my room gets up to 97F during heat waves, no AC here.

 

[DinohScene]

That's cause the UK isn't used to high temperatures due to it having a sea climate.

30c feels a lot different in the UK then it does in Italy/Spain.

 

[ilman]

Welcome to my country - 42 degrees Celsius every summer.
Good thing I actually have air conditioning now.

 

[Hop2089]

90 degrees can kill in Seattle and other parts of the Northwest but they have AC like everyone else in America, but 0.5% in the UK not having AC, dear lord that problem needs to be fixed, it should've been fixed years ago since global warming was confirmed to exist.

 

[EyeZ]

That's cause the UK isn't used to high temperatures due to it having a sea climate.

30c feels a lot different in the UK then it does in Italy/Spain.

Spot on Dinoh.

 

[xist]

Snapshot of the UK -
Too hot - everything breaks, travel stops due to everything breaking, people die
Too cold - everything breaks, travel stops due to everything breaking, people die
Too wet - everything gets really wet, travel gets massively delayed due to everything getting really wet, towns and villages flood, homes ruined. Possible casualties.
Too leafy - trains massively delayed...probably no casualties...
Too windy - trees fall down, people die.

We have a problem with weather here.

 

[Ethevion]

How can that temperature kill? I was doing cardio in 40 degrees Celcius with extremely humid conditions. We had a humidex warning too.

 

[Youkai]

The Question should be "how old were those people who died?" as people start to get older and older it is "normal" for a 90 years old to not survive a heat like this ... at least it would be more normal than a 20 years old dying ...

 

[Fluto]

Meanwhile in Australia, Max 46°c on summer. Most things are okay, except for the southern star and bush fires but you get my drift.

 

[xist]

Because they're talking about deaths among the elderly, frail and infirm and babies.

Homes in the UK are designed to keep all the heat in to deal with the usually less extreme heat. It's not a surprise that older people with poorer constitutions are taking it hardest. Keeping hydrated in this heat is really important and i suspect that many of those casualties didn't manage too.

 

[Celice]

I'm just gonna chime in: it's been over 90F for the past 60 days here in California. Not very humid though, thankfully.

 

[xist]

I'm just gonna chime in: it's been over 90F for the past 60 days here in California. Not very humid though, thankfully.

How unusual is that? Because the last time we had temperatures this high was seven years ago, and probably in a less prolonged run of days.

 

[Hop2089]

Snapshot of the UK -
Too hot - everything breaks, travel stops due to everything breaking, people die
Too cold - everything breaks, travel stops due to everything breaking, people die
Too wet - everything gets really wet, travel gets massively delayed due to everything getting really wet, towns and villages flood, homes ruined. Possible casualties.
Too leafy - trains massively delayed...probably no casualties...
Too windy - trees fall down, people die.

We have a problem with weather here.

My goodness Mother Nature hates the UK.

 

[xist]

My goodness Mother Nature hates the UK.

Well look at it this way...without it we wouldn't have anything that unites everyone to moan about.

 

[Blaze163]

This has got to be bollocks. I go out in this heat and walk a round trip of 6 miles to Tesco to get the lady some sushi (they don't sell it any closer) and I'll wear my jacket. Doesn't phase me in the slightest. Fuck, I went to Malta in the height of the season and still wore a fleece, I've got the photos to prove it.

For those that doubt...

That's me, circa July 2003, in Malta, in a fleece.

 

[DaRk_ViVi]

That's cause the UK isn't used to high temperatures due to it having a sea climate.

30c feels a lot different in the UK then it does in Italy/Spain.

I'll invite you to try italian temperature, we usually have 30-35° C in summer (and I mean the temperature you feel because of humidity, not the one from the thermometer). :\

 

[Celice]

How unusual is that? Because the last time we had temperatures this high was seven years ago, and probably in a less prolonged run of days.

Pretty much every summer, temps are like this in Mid/Northern California (where I've been most my life). A week or two in a row above 100F is predictable, too. Here's what this past month as looked like for my current area:

Today was a rare day with clouds. It's fucking amazing.

 

[Gahars]

Only 0.5 percent of homes in the U.K. have air-conditioning

And here I thought you English types were the epitome of sophistication and class. Bah, savages, all (but 0.5%) of you!

 

[Chary]

Some locations can be completely taken by storm, when unprepared weather conditions happen. It may sound odd, but if it snows in southern Texas, the whole state freaks out and goes into lockdown, because cold weather is such a rarity. I can understand that the UK might have issues with such "hot" weather, but its been 101F degrees the past week, where I live, and I don't think anyone has died because of it.