Heat

We are currently in a heat wave. During heatwaves my velux heat up in the afternoon sun and radiate heat both into the apartment during the day but also at night after the sun has set. I have found that during a heat waves it is wise to close the blinds and close the windows as soon as it is hotter outside than inside.

When it is hotter outside than inside closing windows keeps the apartment slightly cooler, but not much cooler. As I write this it’s 11am and the bedroom is at 30°c. I had cooled it down to 27°c earlier this morning but as soon as I close the windows the apartment temperature shoots up because the core is hot.

For as long as I remember I have enjoyed summer heat. For a long time I lived in a house that was like a cave in summer. It would be 30°c outdoors but 21 to 25°c indoors. It felt like stepping into a cave when I got home. For a summer or two I lived in a apartment on the 5th floor in Meyrin and during the 2003 summer heat wave I would open the windows on both sides of the building and get a nice draft.

For five years it was sunny almost every day in Switzerland. It was sunny so often that the water tables declined and village fountains dried up, as did fields. Clouds of dust could be seen rising when tractors worked the fields. It’s because of this excellent weather, for years in a row, that I stopped looking at weather apps.

Now, weather is interesting again. Two or three weeks ago Geneva flooded. A few days ago Zermatt flooded, and, now Morges has flooded too. So many places are flooding. This is due to weather weirding on one side, but also climate change on the other. With more heat the clouds can store more water, and when they meet a cold front a deluge may ensue.

This morning I saw someone walking in shorts and a t-shirt and I saw more people in t-shirts. Switzerland is currently 8°c warmer than it should be at this time of year, and drier. The sun is shining and it rarely rains. The weather is stable and sunny, every single day, for weeks or even months at a time. We had a few minutes of rain recently but no more than that.

We are in a heatwave and despite this I have cycled for four and a half hours and walked for three hours and fourty minutes. For the bike rides I woke at 6am to avoid rush hour traffic, and to do things before the temperatures rose. Yesterday the temperature in Geneva reached 39°c. Just a few decimal places away from 40°c heat.

Despite the weak I still went for my afternoon walks, but it’s also because of the heat that I walked with 1.6 litres or more. During hot days I find that I can act normally, but I still try to keep myself hydrated. If I feel that I am overheating I pour water on my hat/helmet to cool down.

Years ago, when working in an air conditioned office I came up with the theory that air conditioning, rather than helping us, during heatwaves, actually has the opposite effect. I came to this idea when I stepped out of my air conditioned office into a warm summer’s day wearing a fleece, and maybe even a sweater. It seemed absurd at the time, because around me people were walking in t-shirts and shorts and I was dressed for winter.

Two days in a row I have poured water on my head. The reason for this is that yesterday we were in 35°c heat and today we were in 33°c heat. When you’re walking for two or three hours at the solar Maximum the best cooling strategy is to pour water on your head, as I did. It’s a quick way of cooling. It’s not that the water was cool. The water is warm, heated by direct sunlight for the last half hour, or even hour.

Yesterday I went for a walk with a Garmin Etrex 32 that was sometimes in my hands and at other times in my pocket. I could have been hands three with a GPS watch but it’s good to play with a variety of devices. I chose the Etrex because it was paired with the Tempe thermometer. The Thermometer was in my backpack, in the top pocket. I knew that the air temperature would be around 30°c but I wanted to see what the “felt” temperature would be. As I left home the thermometer indicated 28°c before climbing to a maximum of 45°c and an average of 38°c. [caption id=“attachment_10601” align=“alignnone” width=“169”] Average temp 38°cHottest: 45°cMin: 29°c[/caption] I felt fine during this walk. I set off with a 600ml water bottle and for the first half of the walk I didn’t drink because I wasn’t thirsty. By the time I did start drinking my water it was warm.

A walk from one forest to another from Founex to Arnex.

Sometimes we walk in the rain and the snow and we get soaked by the weather. Today I drank a litre in an hour and a half of walking. The air temperature is around 31c.

I decided to walk from clump of trees to clump of trees. It’s possible. If I had walked in the direct sun I would have needed to drink more than I did.