We had an exceptionally nasty hot day a few years ago, the thermometer got to 115 F by about 5.30 pm. We had wanted to go to the beach to cool off, but not in the middle of the day. By 5 pm we gave up. We checked the max when we got home - our thermometer recorded what it had got to, and when. And we're in the coolest part of Sydney! Out west where there are buildings with thermometers built into them (you know the sort - a clock and thermometer to see when you're stuck in traffic) and out there it was even hotter.
I remember running the tap to get a drink of water, and it came out hot! I put a thermometer in the glass and it read 55 C (131 F). I should have put a tea bag in it!
We'd run out of ice long before then...
All you can do in that heat is close all doors and windows, put wet towels folded against any gaps under the doors, close all curtains, darken the rooms and wear a wet towel round your neck. We have these scarf things made from a strip of cotton, filled with water crystals. You soak the scarf until the crystals swell up, then wear it round your neck or forehead.
When it gets that hot, it's dangerous. But people not used to it don't always know how to manage in it. A bloke I used to work with would open up the curtains and open the windows to "let a breeze in", not thinking that the breeze coming in was hotter than the insulated air inside. ANd opened curtains also let the sun in, and that heat has nowhere to go...
stay cool... today's max here is 64 F and there's a strong wind blowing. But at least the sun is out. And the jasmine is in bloom, so your days should begin to cool off soon.
hold that thought.
Marg
