Once again, we find ourselves facing the alarming media rhetoric and an overly cautious government agency response that typically emerges at the first sign of weather that strays from the mild and mundane. This weekend’s forecast? A scorching 30C (or for our American friends, a balmy 86F). Cue the heat-health alert, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) making it sound as though we are bracing for a Saharan onslaught, rather than a warm summer weekend.
A heat-health alert has been issued for parts of England as temperatures are predicted to hit 30C (86F) over the weekend.
The alert is in place from 09:00 BST on Friday 9 June to 09:00 on Monday 12 June in London, the Midlands, eastern and southern England.
People are being asked to check on vulnerable friends and family.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65837317
First, let’s put things in perspective. In many parts of the world, 30C is par for the course in summer, sometimes even considered a pleasantly warm day. This temperature is nothing unusual for countries like Spain, Italy, or Greece. Or even across the pond in the US, where states like Texas or Arizona regularly see summer highs soar well above 30C without a nationwide panic ensuing.
The UKHSA’s hysterical advice has triggered an amber alert, urging people to check on the vulnerable and adjust their daily routines. While it’s always important to look out for the elderly and those with health conditions, isn’t it just as crucial during the depths of winter or even on an average day? As responsible individuals, shouldn’t we be doing this anyway, without a governmental nudge?
Our media has become proficient at generating anxiety and alarm, latching onto the slightest deviation from the norm and amplifying it into a national crisis. The BBC article warns us of a weekend ‘hotter than Ibiza and Madrid’ as though this were a cataclysmic event, instead of simply a warm summer weekend that many people might actually enjoy.
BBC Weather’s meteorologist, Tomasz Schafernaker, fuels the hysteria by suggesting there might be an official heatwave. In reality, a heatwave is simply three consecutive days of temperatures above the official threshold. In other words, a summery weekend.
BBC Weather meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker said some parts of the UK official heatwave threshold might be met in parts ofcentral and southern England this weekend.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65837317
What is lost in the hysteria is that sunlight and heat, in moderation, can be beneficial. Sunlight provides us with essential Vitamin D, and being outside in the warm weather can improve mood, promote physical activity, and enhance social interactions. Of course, precautions should be taken – stay hydrated, don’t overexert yourself in the midday sun, and use sunblock. But isn’t that just common sense?
And let’s not forget the not-so-subtle mention of the new colour-coded alert system, launched by the UKHSA and the Met Office. While it’s supposed to protect the most vulnerable, in execution, it’s more of a ‘Big Brother’ culture creeping into our daily lives, with the state constantly watching and warning us. If this system is activated every time temperatures peak a bit, its meaningfulness and effectiveness could quickly be undermined.
So, as the weekend approaches, let’s keep calm and carry on. Check on your neighbours, especially the elderly or infirm, drink plenty of water, and don’t forget your sun hat. Let’s not let a bit of warm weather – or alarmist media – disrupt our enjoyment of a beautiful summer weekend.
HT/John C
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Reading The Daily Mirror from the UK, anything over 20C is a “heat wave”.
Being just northwest of Austin, Texas, that would lead me to conclude normal for the UK is “bloody cold”.
It isn’t just the Mirror
Your conclusion is correct.
A ‘heat wave’ in the UK (usually the SE of England) normally last’s for a week or so, might reach mid 30’s during that week. That’s it.
Meanwhile UK holidaymakers head to Spain in droves every summer to enjoy two weeks of 40ºC+ heat and Sangria.
10ºC for the Sangria, please.
Looks like it will be cooler again by Sunday.
Put up a welcome booth for United Kingdom citizens arriving at the airports.
Offer them:
1) iced longneck beer.
2) Chili using the recipe from the previous year’s best chili cookoff winner.
3) Shove them out the door into the Texas summer day.
Enjoy!
Extended (10 day) for this part of central Texas is for 100 plus degree days most of next week. Seasonal for a change after a month of cool wet weather.
It’s almost perfect summer weather right now in the UK.
Developing warm sunny days. The greenery is going gangbusters. Cool nights that allow for real sleeping. The central heating was put on yesterday.
It’s terrible. We’re all gonna die.
But I wouldn’t mind dying in this weather.
and play at The Oval hasn’t been stopped due to rain.
I did notice both the Indians and Australians wearing sleeveless jumpers.
For were I live that out normal January temperature an it is bloody cold. That is from someone who for the first 55 years of his live thought a temperature in January at 0 C was warm. My old blood has thinned out a lot.
G’Day Tom,
“…Being just northwest of Austin, Texas…”
29 Palms, California. Averages 90 days per year with temperatures over 100°F.
(The ‘swamp cooler’ works like a charm.)
What a joke!
I think one significant source of atmospheric warming has not been considered.
Surely, all of the Alarmists running around with their hair on fire has added some measurable warming since 1980!
I think you meant all the alarmists running around with their pants on fire
This is not an either/or situation. You are BOTH correct.
The UKHSE has only been going since 2021 when they replaced Public Health England after the track and trace, and covid response cockups. A clearer case of trying to justify their own existence I have rarely seen.
Here in East Texas, 86°F is a very nice summer day.
As in Las Vegas, Nevada, we don’t really start to think much of HOT until the temperatures get over 95f.
Personally, when I was in my early 30s and working outdoors in the sun, on a freshly paved asphalt road installing street lights and traffic signals, 105f was when I really began to feel the HEAT. Heck, I could not leave metal tools out without making sure I set them down in the shade. More than once I took tools I failed protect for direct sun and ran water from the ice water jug over the metal so I could use them.
Now, retired and spending much of my time at 8600 ft elevation where the temperatures are consistently 30+ f (17c) cooler than in Vegas, when I am in town, I notice the heat much more. BUT after a week or so, I start to get acclimated to SOME extent. 67 yo means more water, shorter times in direct sun, etc. Still able to get things done.
If 30c was any big deal, EVERYONE in Vegas would spend much of their time, 5 months year, time checking on everyone else. Even at 100f, 38c, Las Vegas would be in gridlock with all the checking on BS, for much of the summer.
Final side note, in my early 20s I worked in downtown Vega and walked to work every evening at 9;30 pm. This was in 1978. During the simmer I would OFTEN see over 100 f on the reader on top of the Mint hotel casino. BUT it was a dry heat, and not the least bit uncomfortable, even though I walked at a minimum 3.5 mph pace a mile and a half to work.
Phoenix metro are we have 160 days over a hundred, it only when it in the teens do I think it hot. Those temps in the teens tend to fry you eyeballs at first part of you outing.
“During the simmer”
I lived in SoCal, I can relate 🙂
(that’s one of the best typos ever)
many 100+ days was normal, it took 110+ to be a “heat wave” and we had plenty of those.
Here in Arizona a 86F day is cold. Time to put on long pants.
26°C.
I call that a “bit-warmer-than-room-temperature wave”.
Here (Barcelona Catalunya) at the moment 26ºC inside the house. Nice. But you wonder how it can be warm in summer on the days with the most daylight hours and wind from the south. Very unusual.
The weather forecast maps have alarmingly red colouring- for 23C
All done deliberately to promote the idea that climate change is a threat.
Yep indeed. Been done to death.
Where did the BBC dig up this hysterical nonsense from?
Wunderground say no such thing and are in broad agreement with the (oft hysterical) Met Office = being very calm and sober today. As seen attached
i.e. Met Office say temp peaking at 28°C in **London** on Saturday and their only warning is of a thunderstorm while Wunderground say same temp and a 2% (two per cent) chance of any rain.
No doubt we’ll get a Scorchio temperature record set at some airport or other with dilapidated fighter jets* setting off for Ukraine.
*Australia is making around 40 F14 Tomcats available to the nice Mr. Zelensky. The alternative destination was the scrapheap as they were destined to be decommissioned.
F18s
For their sake I hope it is F14’s as 18’s are gas hogs. Cycle times on carriers were shortened because 18’s couldn’t last a normal 1:45 hour cycle and have enough gas for a safety margin.
Doubtful it’s either really. The source of the article appears to be the head of an Australian company that’s training Ukraine hackers in anti-Russian cybersecurity and is not connected to the government. Kyiv has already stated that Australian fighter jets are not on the ‘list’ of things Zelensky wants from other countries, but would be interested if the offer was genuine.
As far as I know, Iran under the Shah was the only export customer for the F14.
Didn’t the USA nickname the Iranian F-14’s ‘Alley Cats’?
Thank you.
ITAR. Australia may (or may not) by providing them, but ITAR means the US is approving.
As it states in the article, the warning was issued by a UK government body, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA), based on forecast information supplied by the met Office.
And you think that’s perfectly reasonable do you? To issue a government health warning because temperatures might get up to mildly warm? I call it irresponsible and a complete waste of taxpayers money, frankly.
Rusty hasn’t moved to the Antarctic yet, despite knowing the climate there is more to its liking.
Perhaps it likes its tea and coffee tepid, too..
That’s a technically correct answer to the question. Why downvotes?
He’s stating the blindingly obvious, parrot-fashion, rather than engaging with the topic; highly patronising and unpopular.
“Hotter than Madrid”.
Of course. Madrid is forecast to be unseasonably cool and wet this weekend.
And Madrid is at a height of more than 600 meters above sea level under influence of a cold depression this weekend.
My BBC weather app is predicting a high of 27ºC on Saturday. Downhill from there.
Currently 19ºC with a chilling breeze in the South East.
This is simply more jobs for the boys in the MET Office.
“19ºC”
That’s what we have as a maximum forecast today down in NSW, Australia…
where it is WINTER.
and a cold front has come through 🙁
“My BBC weather app”
Catch-22 for BBC. Newsreaders must trust that people smart enough to write their app will also keep their secrets. Young talent would rather start its own business. As “an influencer”?
Gad. It looks like we should update the Bard’s Sonnet 18 from:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”
To:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,
When all life teeters on the brink of doom?
And all God’s creatures cower
‘Neath a shroud of misery and gloom.”
Thou art thyself a Bard most skilfull goode Sir Thomas!
This type of warning will insure they will be ignored. Crying wolf when there is none doesn’t work long.
They’ve been crying about the same wolf for almost 50 years.
Thirty degrees Celsius (86 F) for most people is just a pleasant day at the beach.
Such temperatures are commonplace in summer in most of southern Europe, not only in Spain and Italy, but also in southern and central France. Every summer, Greece gets at least a week of temperatures above 40 C (104 F).
It seems like the British, in particular, are unusually afraid of warm weather. I remember taking some British friends to Noirmoutier Island along the west coast of France on a sunny, warm day (about 30 C maximum). While the French people were enjoying the sunshine and the beach, our British friends were huddled under their parasol for most of the afternoon, only moving to follow its shade. Whatever happened to “Fear no more the heat of the sun” (Shakespeare)?
Problem is, fewer than 5% of UK domestic houses have air conditioning.
When I grew up in Philly we didn’t either and the July average is 89f and high humidity, by the way that’s the same average it was 50 years ago. It’s AC that makes everyone think the world is warming, the more you sit comfortable in AC the more you think the heat is a catastrophic.
Exactly !
yep – some folks spend their entire day and part night in a false A/C “climate” – From home, to car, to office, to shops, to home. The only time the skin feels the weather conditions is walking from one conditioned space to another.
That’s not a problem, in the UK’s climate, opening a couple of windows does a very good job.
Especially at night. Typically the night time temperatures will be well below 20°C
So what?
Human body grew up in Africa. It can take heat a lot easier than cold
Come on Leo, these leftists that believe in evolution cant also understand that the human body can handle everything from the frozen arctic to the smoldering deserts of the world.
That would require them to suspend their religious beliefs that tell them the “Earth” is controlled by Humans, not the other way around.
And even fewer can afford the electricity, thanks to the anti-CO2 agenda that idiots like you espouse
Don’t bother with turning the air-con on in summer until it reaches 30C outside !
How is that a Problem but requiring them to use a heat pump in winter is not?
Actually prefer it to be in 90’s f at the Jersey shore.
well here in the mid Atlantic (US) we have had atleast it seems to me a bit of a slightly chilly spring. And now we have some smoke to shield us from the intense rays of the sun too. Which really makes me think how “ natural” disasters are something that should be more on peoples radar.
536 AD,, 1540,, 1783, 1816 and probably many others, Years with no summers
1968 wasn’t up to much – not in the UK, anyway.
Mean summer temperature in the UK in 1968 was about average for the 1960s (13.6C versus 13.5C for the decade – UKMO).
By contrast, mean summer temperatures in the UK over the past 10 years have averaged 15.0C, with 4 of the last 5 years exceeding that.
I was thinking more of the cloudy days and the drizzly ones. There wasn’t much sunshine that year, as I remember it.
And those temperatures, where are they being recorded? In open rural fields, or in ever more dense asphalt covered towns?
How much heat island, how much the natural cyclic climate variation of the various ocean oscillations and solar activity?
Just asking, don’t expect an answer.
Ah yes, back when “the next Ice Age is coming right soon now!” was current?
John is dead on.
And to think, Australia, India, and parts of the Middle East were part of the British Commonwealth. How did they manage, and before modern conveniences like air conditioning??
Punkah wallahs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punkah#:~:text=In%20India%2C%20the%20punkhawallah%20or,the%20guy%20with%20the%20fans.
PW’s are probably still price competitive. a.k.a. why buy the robot when human will do it for free?
We still are.
HT for Charles: fires in Canada finds RCMPs rounding up eco-terror arsenal arsonists. SEE https://granitegrok.com/blog/2023/06/canada-they-are-not-wildfires-when-eco-terrorists-set-them
How hard is it to write “story tip”?
At least 17 so far I think, although the trials of arsonists arrested during last years arson season have confused the issue a bit.
I blame co2 for the actions of arsonists. Its the carbon that makes them light fires. You see once we destroy all FF there will never be another “catastrophic” weather event anywhere on earth…
In other words – do what you have always done unless you have lost the “Spot The Brain Cell” game of life.
So Mr Shafenaker work this out – JPO.
The fact that there isn’t a huge uproar from the British public tells me that their population is a bunch of spineless sheeple.
Calling 30C a heat wave is extremely outrageous and the public should be ridiculing anyone who claims this is a heat wave.
We’re used to laughing at and then ignoring the Met Office and other NGO’s when they make fatuous and self-important pronouncements from on high. Perhaps that’s why the scam artists have such a foothold – no-one takes them seriously.
“… huge uproar … spineless …”
Its not important enough for uproar. There’s always something to be upset about if you want to feel that way. Sounds exhausting.
86F? In the UK? Bring it on! And about time, too – I’d been wondering where “flaming June” had got to!
They are going to crank the screws down, every year a bit more, on everything, food, water, housing, freedoms, fuel, until there is a big backlash – we need to drag them out in the streets and teach a lesson.
O/T — With much of the eastern and central US being affected with smoke from the Canadian wildfires, will we see warning or cooling from the extra particulate matter, or no net difference?
My 2p worth is for a bit of cooling, although I doubt it’ll be too noticeable against the background noise.
In Philly the average for July is 89f with an average humidity of 58%. Didn’t cancel a single soccer match last year for our over 55 summer league and had several days 98f+.
The UK needs to “man up”- sheesh, you once were an empire upon which the sun never set- you resisted Hitler all alone- you had world class scientists and artists and Shakespear and now your nation fears a warm day.
I’m not anti feminist but me thinks the UK is becoming feminized. One definition of feminist just found in the net is “an advocate of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes; a person who supports feminism.”
Fine, equality is fine- if they do the same job, they should get paid the same. If a woman wants a very difficult job we once thought only men should do- fine, let’em have them including any and all jobs in the military. But I don’t want them dominating politics and culture.
Here in Woke-achusetts, we now have a lesbian govenor- and oh, everyone is so proud of that- well, did we really need to even know that she’s a lesbian? And, almost every agency head is now a woman- not just at the top but all the way down the hierarchy. I’ve also noticed that most newspapers and mazines now have female editors. And, I don’t watch much TV, but it seems the vast majority of news people and weather people and even sports people are now women.
Let’s get back to equality and I hope the UK will man up! I’ll probably get slammed for this commentary, but that’s OK, I’m proud to be a man and I can take it. 🙂
STORY TIP — Socialist workers’ paradise Venezuela is an environmental disaster –https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2023/06/07/study-socialist-darling-venezuela-experienced-86-oil-spills-2022/
Students of climate change and environmental activism know one of the goals is to use real and imagined crises to enact Marxist global governance. Yet history shows socialist countries have the worst environmental records. Venezuela is but the latest example.
Socialism doesn’t seem to work anywhere it’s been tried, but Venezuela has other problems too.
This is all so silly. Where I live 86 degrees F is a not-so-hot summer day. If you think it is hot, go inside and sit in the AC, or perhaps drink a cool glass of water.
There needs to be strong pushback against these charlatans; perhaps protests in support of weather being like weather has always been; sometimes hot, sometimes cold, etc.
And what is the problem with lack of air conditioning? Is this now a first world problem?
We don’t have much air conditioning in the UK, never really needed it. We tend to just open the windows.
We don’t have much air conditioning in the UK, never really needed it. We tend to just close the windows and the curtains.
And open them only at night when outside temp goes below interior
Ok. I tend to open the windows then as the air temperatures, even at midday, rarely get that uncomfortable here in the UK.
“There needs to be strong pushback against these charlatans; perhaps protests in support of weather”
I scheduled one but it rained. Maybe next week.
Just a passing thought. Has anyone considered that Bill Gates set all these fires to test his premise of loading up the atmosphere with fine particles to block the sun?
Impossible to know from where I’m sitting – there are better ways to test. B seems like the type of guy that would run an experiment he could control. Software guys I’ve known don’t love randomness.
Meanwhile, here in northeast PA, last night the temp was 37F . A little chilly for June, but no pundits commented.