London Hits New High

[dlinkwit27]

LONDON (AP) - Britain sweltered through its hottest day on record Sunday and Alpine glaciers melted as the heat wave that has baked much of Europe for days sizzled relentlessly on.

The heat and drought-driven fires across the continent prompted Pope John Paul II to urge people to pray for rain.

``It is just miserable. You can't get any respite from it,'' said Londoner Ranald Davidson, squinting in the late afternoon sun as Britain surpassed 100 degrees for the first time.

The national weather service recorded a maximum of 100.22 degrees at Heathrow Airport, outside a parched and baking London. Northern parts of the country were cooler, and torrential rain created problems in North Yorkshire.

Germans, too, have had record heat. In the Bavarian city of Roth, the temperature hit nearly 105 degrees Saturday. The previous record of 104 was also in Bavaria, set in 1983.

More than 40 deaths - including a 3-year-old French girl who died in a parked car on Sunday - have been blamed on temperatures that have hovered in the 100-degree range for days.

Pope John Paul II made his prayer appeal at the papal palace in lakeside Castel Gandolfo, which is generally cooler than Rome. Drought-fed fires have plagued Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, France and arid areas of other countries.

``I invite all to join in my prayers for the victims of this calamity, and I exhort all to raise to the Lord fervent entreaties so that He may grant the relief of rain to the thirsty Earth,'' John Paul told pilgrims and tourists.

In northeastern Italy, firefighters worked for a third day to put out a blaze in the countryside near Udine.

Three big fires burned in Portugal. The government asked Spain for two firefighting planes to help tackle a wildfire near Portimao, in the southern region of Algarve. About 145 firefighters, 45 vehicles, two helicopters and two planes were battling the flames.

In the French Alps, a police officer warned hikers about avalanches along a popular route on Mont Blanc. Glacial ice is melting, loosening rocks from the mountainside. On Saturday, helicopters evacuated 44 climbers in danger, police said.

Germany was expected to remain hot until midweek; France was counting on at least another week of abnormally high temperatures; and forecasters in Italy expect the country to be steamy through August.

Spain's National Meteorological Institute predicted temperatures above 107 degrees will continue throughout Spain for at least another week. Authorities in the Barcelona area have asked people not to visit national parks for picnics to avoid accidental fires.

In southern England, the unaccustomed stretch of very hot weather parched lawns in the capital and taxed tempers.

Two Australian women looking for an air-conditioned pub in the Holborn area of London were fed up with the search for a cool place to sit.

``London is not built for these temperatures!'' said Jenny Geddes, 29, of Newcastle, Australia.

``Where do you escape in London? There's nowhere to go sit and cool off,'' said Heather Irvine, of Ettalong, Australia, now living in London.

In Britain, many trains have had to reduce speeds because of the danger that heat will buckle tracks. The London Underground is so hot that signs have appeared at stations advising people to take bottled water with them and to let staff know if they are feeling unwell before they get on the train.

At Britain's beaches, people are often wrapped up in wool cardigans as they await the appearance of the sun, thousands of people bared nearly all on Sunday, soaking up the rays.

At the southern resort town of Bournemouth, the coastline was jammed.

``Our capacity on the seafront is about 100,000 and there is no spare sand here today,'' said senior seafront inspector Brian Cunnings. ``Everybody has just squeezed in wherever they can.''

In Paris, Sonia Tiba, 28, who works for the French administration, was strolling on the Champs-Elysees on Sunday and sipping an icy drink. She was dreading going back to work Monday in her office with no air conditioning.

``Tomorrow, we'll just have to take a deep breath and be brave. We don't have any choice,'' Tiba said.

i'd feel more sorry for them if it didn't get that hot at leat twice a week here.

[c2R]

Originally posted by dlinkwit27
i'd feel more sorry for them if it didn't get that hot at leat twice a week here.

Yes, but the difference in London is that it only gets very hot once every few years. Therefore most homes, cars, offices, and small shops don't have air-conditioning.

Neither does public transport - since London has been at the forefront of technology over the centuries, the public transport system is practically pre-historic; they are running busses built from the 1950s onwards, the underground system dates from the late 1800s, and road-building is not happening at a fast enough rate to cope with modern traffic levels. Thus, the underground and busses aren't air-conditioned (I dread to think how hot it must be down there - I never use public transport so I've not been anywhere near the thing...); and roads are clogged with traffic trying to get to the coasts (remembering of course that London is inland, so there are no beaches for people just to cool off at - they need to drive about 60 miles to find one).

Furthermore, London itself is one of the biggest cities in the world, and has a very low population density - meaning it is spread out and therefore covers a massive area. It is also situated in a valley, meaning that smog gets trapped over the town and the air gets very humid, close, and difficult to breathe - so it's not really the nice heat that you get in the South of France.

However, I certainly was out there enjoying it - I've just got back from a weekend's endurance cycling!

[Cylob]

A very nice demographic of London there c2R. I had to take cover myself, half an hour in the sun's the limit (fair complexion and all that). I'm pleased it's down to 24C today.

We went from May - July with hardly any clear days, and out of nowhere the full force of the sun hits you. There was no time to adjust.

[Mr_007]

Worry!
world become very hot!
bad news!

[Russ]

Originally posted by c2R
Neither does public transport - since London has been at the forefront of technology over the centuries, the public transport system is practically pre-historic; they are running busses built from the 1950s onwards, the underground system dates from the late 1800s, and road-building is not happening at a fast enough rate to cope with modern traffic levels. Thus, the underground and busses aren't air-conditioned (I dread to think how hot it must be down there - I never use public transport so I've not been anywhere near the thing...); and roads are clogged with traffic trying to get to the coasts (remembering of course that London is inland, so there are no beaches for people just to cool off at - they need to drive about 60 miles to find one).

Furthermore, London itself is one of the biggest cities in the world, and has a very low population density - meaning it is spread out and therefore covers a massive area. It is also situated in a valley, meaning that smog gets trapped over the town and the air gets very humid, close, and difficult to breathe - so it's not really the nice heat that you get in the South of France.

Heh, don't I know it. I had to go up to work on the tube (underground) last week, and it really was unbelievably hot down there. They can't install air conditioning in the trains because the tunnels are so narrow that it's impossible.

[s1138]

sounds like an average summer day down here in georgia....

i feel so sorry for you guys, i know how much hot weather sucks....

[dlinkwit27]

Originally posted by c2R
Yes, but the difference in London is that it only gets very hot once every few years. Therefore most homes, cars, offices, and small shops don't have air-conditioning.

Neither does public transport - since London has been at the forefront of technology over the centuries, the public transport system is practically pre-historic; they are running busses built from the 1950s onwards, the underground system dates from the late 1800s, and road-building is not happening at a fast enough rate to cope with modern traffic levels. Thus, the underground and busses aren't air-conditioned (I dread to think how hot it must be down there - I never use public transport so I've not been anywhere near the thing...); and roads are clogged with traffic trying to get to the coasts (remembering of course that London is inland, so there are no beaches for people just to cool off at - they need to drive about 60 miles to find one).

Furthermore, London itself is one of the biggest cities in the world, and has a very low population density - meaning it is spread out and therefore covers a massive area. It is also situated in a valley, meaning that smog gets trapped over the town and the air gets very humid, close, and difficult to breathe - so it's not really the nice heat that you get in the South of France.

However, I certainly was out there enjoying it - I've just got back from a weekend's endurance cycling!

ok...now I feel sorry for them. No air conditioning!

[c2R]

Originally posted by watadoo
Maybe the Brits will finally get a clue about why beer is better cold. Some good could come from this heat wave.

Hear hear! You just can't beat a nice cool pint of foreign lager on a hot day such as this - ale served at room temperature just doesn't appeal!

[zootm]

the really annoying thing is that i woke up at 9:50pm, which was after the sun went down and 10 minutes before i was due to start work.

i made it in, too.

[Mattress]

I hope they are able to get those fires put out.

[duh]

bitch bitch bitch, it was 114 here today.

[Russ]

Bet it wasn't as humid.

[Merlin]

Originally posted by zootm
10 minutes before i was due to start work.

i made it in, too.

That's some good hustlin', Lou.

I love hot weather. It was 120 fahrenheit last time I was in Spain, but perfectly tolerable because of the dry air. If it gets past 95 over here, everyone becomes lethargic. British weather does suck.

[s1138]

good point....they have dry heat...down here in georgia...its about 101 out..not including humidity...and humidity is a bitch.