Currently in Versailles in a hotel without air conditioning (albeit on the shady north side of the building). During the day it's not so bad with the windows closed, drapes drawn, and tabletop fan. (Speaking as someone accustomed to Florida temperatures, humidity, and widely available air conditioning.)
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
Thankfully in Paris it doesn't look like we're going to get it as bad as was expected. It's "only" going to be 100f/38c today and 90f/32c tomorrow. Hot, but considering that just a few days ago my weather app predicted 107f/42c, it's welcome.
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
> Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
How common is air conditioning in Paris? What proportion of homes have air conditioning, either built-in or portable? How about businesses? Does Paris have sufficient "cooling stations", as in, large, air conditioned, public-friendly businesses like malls or community centers?
Fairly uncommon in homes (although I wouldn't go as far as the sibling comment that it's only for very upscale homes—I know plenty of people who are getting equipped). Because the unit has to be outside, there are many historic buildings where you can't install AC. It's less of a problem in other parts of France.
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
Some offices are better than other when it comes up AC. My last regular office would turn the AC off for the entire floor if any windows were open. But then the meeting rooms would get stuffy, and people would open windows, so there effectively was no AC.
The best place to go during weather like this is actually a grocery store: Picard, which only sells frozen food and so you get the escaped chill from the freezers.
The trouble is if you just retrofit aircon with no other changes you actually increase the outside temperature, possibly by more than 2 degrees[0].
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
Berlin is the same. Tomorrow the expected high is 37c / 99f. Germany is not prepared for these kind of temperatures. And I don't know any friends who have AC at home. Only in large malls and offices. - In the 80s, schools sent kids home when the temps were above 27c / 80.6f.
I was in southern Francz last week. There the heatwave (consistent 34C+ in the day, consistent 24+ during the night) started exactly two weeks ago with a single interruption last Wednesday night (which was nice but caused the wind to fall on Thursday making sailing boring).
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
How do you define "the same people"? Everyone who publishes weather data?
What agenda do you think people have that are long dead?
If you distrust everything you can measure it yourself. I am still in youth and even I can see changes myself. There used to be snow in the winter and now it's rare for example. Yes that is weather not climate; I don't live long enough to see climate changes. But there are oil paintings from 300 years ago. Are these fake?
Genuine question: How do you know, that people who know climate change is made-up are trustworthy and don't have their own agenda?
I have no idea if they have their own agenda, but their ends (such as supporting private transportation and meat consumption) I support. Even if I didn’t trust them, and I don’t trust them either, the ends justify the means.
Currently in Versailles in a hotel without air conditioning (albeit on the shady north side of the building). During the day it's not so bad with the windows closed, drapes drawn, and tabletop fan. (Speaking as someone accustomed to Florida temperatures, humidity, and widely available air conditioning.)
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
Keep cool and stay safe, mes amis !
Thankfully in Paris it doesn't look like we're going to get it as bad as was expected. It's "only" going to be 100f/38c today and 90f/32c tomorrow. Hot, but considering that just a few days ago my weather app predicted 107f/42c, it's welcome.
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
> Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
How common is air conditioning in Paris? What proportion of homes have air conditioning, either built-in or portable? How about businesses? Does Paris have sufficient "cooling stations", as in, large, air conditioned, public-friendly businesses like malls or community centers?
Fairly uncommon in homes (although I wouldn't go as far as the sibling comment that it's only for very upscale homes—I know plenty of people who are getting equipped). Because the unit has to be outside, there are many historic buildings where you can't install AC. It's less of a problem in other parts of France.
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
Some offices are better than other when it comes up AC. My last regular office would turn the AC off for the entire floor if any windows were open. But then the meeting rooms would get stuffy, and people would open windows, so there effectively was no AC.
The best place to go during weather like this is actually a grocery store: Picard, which only sells frozen food and so you get the escaped chill from the freezers.
Paris has many historic buildings, but it’s not like the average Joe lives in any of those.
Very uncommon / inexistant in private appartements except I guess if you live in a very very very upscale appartement.
Installing AC is actually not allowed in many places ( because of urbanism laws)
Only possible AC is those single hose mobile units which are wildly inefficient and close to useless while burning energy.
The trouble is if you just retrofit aircon with no other changes you actually increase the outside temperature, possibly by more than 2 degrees[0].
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
[0] https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/30/fact-check-is-air-...
Berlin is the same. Tomorrow the expected high is 37c / 99f. Germany is not prepared for these kind of temperatures. And I don't know any friends who have AC at home. Only in large malls and offices. - In the 80s, schools sent kids home when the temps were above 27c / 80.6f.
I was in southern Francz last week. There the heatwave (consistent 34C+ in the day, consistent 24+ during the night) started exactly two weeks ago with a single interruption last Wednesday night (which was nice but caused the wind to fall on Thursday making sailing boring).
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
Normal summer weather is used to install anxiety in the minds of the populace, so they will easier accept future draconian measures.
40 C is extremely high for Paris. Why lie about information that is easy to lookup? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extreme_temperatures_i...
There is nothing normal about this, as you can easily verify by looking at recorded weather history.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had these temperatures in summer as a child in the same location I am now.
It would seem foolish to trust the temperature records from the same people who want to install draconian measures using temperatures as an excuse.
How do you define "the same people"? Everyone who publishes weather data?
What agenda do you think people have that are long dead?
If you distrust everything you can measure it yourself. I am still in youth and even I can see changes myself. There used to be snow in the winter and now it's rare for example. Yes that is weather not climate; I don't live long enough to see climate changes. But there are oil paintings from 300 years ago. Are these fake?
Genuine question: How do you know, that people who know climate change is made-up are trustworthy and don't have their own agenda?
I have no idea if they have their own agenda, but their ends (such as supporting private transportation and meat consumption) I support. Even if I didn’t trust them, and I don’t trust them either, the ends justify the means.
What "draconian measures"? Planting trees and installing water fountains?