UK: New record as temperature hits 39.1C - with 41C expected this afternoon

Grant said:
How is it railway tracks in the UK get all bent out of shape, but ours thru the karoo stay fine?
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They are prestressed for different temperature ranges which affects when they start expanding. Their rails are continuously welded whereas ours have gaps between each section, they have wedge style expansion joints but at far lesser intervals.
 
ponder said:
They are prestressed for different temperature ranges which affects when they start expanding. Their rails are continuously welded whereas ours have gaps between each section, they have wedge style expansion joints but at far lesser intervals.
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Ah
 
Grant said:
How is it railway tracks in the UK get all bent out of shape, but ours thru the karoo stay fine?
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The expansion gaps in SA are bigger due to the heat and cold in the Karoo. The reason for the loud clackety -clack, clackety-clack on long distance SA trains at night and the wheel tappers that used to tap the wheels with a hammer when the train went through a station to check if any wheels were cracked from the impacts.

For those who can remember long distance rail in SA when it was a norm.
 
Used to travel from Jhb to East London on the train many moons ago. Trains were pulled by a number of steam engines then. Experienced the tapping of wheels at specific stations. We called the guys tapiologists.
 
darkevil said:
Used to travel from Jhb to East London on the train many moons ago. Trains were pulled by a number of steam engines then. Experienced the tapping of wheels at specific stations. We called the guys tapiologists.
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The guy who held the lamp for the tapiologist to see at night was called the luminologist.
 
Well, I think we can all agree that moving to UK turns you into a bit of a sissy :p
 
The Voice said:
Difficult to explain, but other Saffas here can probably confirm that high temps here just feel way hotter than they do back in SA. Down to it being an island that’s designed to retain as much heat as possible.

Thankfully that spell is over. Much cooler today.
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Too much concrete and not as much greenery, especially in the city centres (city squares).

Also, buildings in most of Europe are primarily designed to absorb and trap heat within. This further makes it difficult for them to cool at night. It is this extended feeling of being unable to cool down (for days on end), that makes the heatwave so oppressive & dangerous.

Go out to countryside and it's a different story.
 
Paulsie said:
Too much concrete and not as much greenery, especially in the city centres (city squares).

Also, buildings in most of Europe are primarily designed to absorb and trap heat within. This further makes it difficult for them to cool at night. It is this extended feeling of being unable to cool down (for days on end), that makes the heatwave so oppressive & dangerous.

Go out to countryside and it's a different story.
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I live in Epsom, which has a lot of woodland. Also worth looking at the island on Google Earth: it’s mostly green except the grey blotches that are London, Birmingham, etc. We also benefit from green belts that prevent the cities from taking up more green space, thankfully.

But yeah, living in or near the cities will be way worse.
 
The Voice said:
I live in Epsom, which has a lot of woodland. Also worth looking at the island on Google Earth: it’s mostly green except the grey blotches that are London, Birmingham, etc. We also benefit from green belts that prevent the cities from taking up more green space, thankfully.

But yeah, living in or near the cities will be way worse.
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I'm in a semi-rural area in Manchester, next to Heaton Park which is fairly big, as well as a local open water reservoir. It was definitely spicy, even with the greenery around.
 
The Voice said:
I live in Epsom, which has a lot of woodland. Also worth looking at the island on Google Earth: it’s mostly green except the grey blotches that are London, Birmingham, etc. We also benefit from green belts that prevent the cities from taking up more green space, thankfully.

But yeah, living in or near the cities will be way worse.
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I remember those days in London as well as the Czech Republic. The air is so heavy and thick, without being humid really.

Nothing moves and the heat is just everywhere. Give me Bangkok any day.
 
Dave said:
Same here, just outside Newcastle, across the valley is all farmland and forest and large open green spaces across the road in front of the house. It was unbearably hot with almost no air movement.

This is the view from the top of the road.

View attachment 1352306
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Beautiful. We're not quite THAT rural, but we do have horses and other livestock in the area. When we eventually get around to purchasing a property, I hope we manage something like that.
 
The Voice said:
I live in Epsom, which has a lot of woodland. Also worth looking at the island on Google Earth: it’s mostly green except the grey blotches that are London, Birmingham, etc. We also benefit from green belts that prevent the cities from taking up more green space, thankfully.

But yeah, living in or near the cities will be way worse.
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I've probably walked past you at the Ashley Centre...
 
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