As someone living in Spain, this is the only time of the year when I'm happy to go to the office. Yet, I think people need a tutorial on how to use the AC: it's 38ºC outside, but in my cubicle it's about 19ºC - I would be OK with 26ºC.
dustincoates · 4h ago
Thankfully in Paris it doesn't look like we're going to get it as bad as was expected. It's "only" going to be 100f/38c today and 90f/32c tomorrow. Hot, but considering that just a few days ago my weather app predicted 107f/42c, it's welcome.
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
thebruce87m · 3h ago
> Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
DanielHB · 1h ago
It is hard to explain to people who don't live in tropical countries, but 16C in Scotland means the sun is still up giving some radiating heat when it directly hits you or the building you are on. 16C in a tropical country means the sun is completely blocked and no direct heat coming towards you.
Think more like 16C at night feels colder than 16C during the day. The temperature in official thermometers is the overall air temperature in the shade which don't benefit from this overall radiating heat.
And of course humidity is also a huge part of how cold it feels. Which is why temperatures around 0C feel colder than -5C (because below zero the air humidity goes away).
votepaunchy · 27m ago
> because below zero the air humidity goes away
You need much colder for this to happen. Google says:
Water vapor, even in freezing temperatures, doesn't instantly freeze into ice unless it comes into contact with a surface or the temperature drops extremely low (around -40°C).
rossant · 34m ago
Same. That's what I'll do.
sandspar · 4h ago
How common is air conditioning in Paris? What proportion of homes have air conditioning, either built-in or portable? How about businesses? Does Paris have sufficient "cooling stations", as in, large, air conditioned, public-friendly businesses like malls or community centers?
cpa · 3h ago
Fairly uncommon in homes (although I wouldn't go as far as the sibling comment that it's only for very upscale homes—I know plenty of people who are getting equipped). Because the unit has to be outside, there are many historic buildings where you can't install AC. It's less of a problem in other parts of France.
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
dustincoates · 3h ago
Some offices are better than other when it comes up AC. My last regular office would turn the AC off for the entire floor if any windows were open. But then the meeting rooms would get stuffy, and people would open windows, so there effectively was no AC.
The best place to go during weather like this is actually a grocery store: Picard, which only sells frozen food and so you get the escaped chill from the freezers.
mslansn · 3h ago
Paris has many historic buildings, but it’s not like the average Joe lives in any of those.
JustFinishedBSG · 4h ago
Very uncommon / inexistant in private appartements except I guess if you live in a very very very upscale appartement.
Installing AC is actually not allowed in many places ( because of urbanism laws)
Only possible AC is those single hose mobile units which are wildly inefficient and close to useless while burning energy.
globular-toast · 3h ago
The trouble is if you just retrofit aircon with no other changes you actually increase the outside temperature, possibly by more than 2 degrees[0].
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
Oh that is interesting. A greek guy I know said to me that cities 'radiated heat' some years ago and I kinda didn't believe him.
Localised to alleyways etc the effect can probably be even worse.
treetalker · 1h ago
Currently in Versailles in a hotel without air conditioning (albeit on the shady north side of the building). During the day it's not so bad with the windows closed, drapes drawn, and tabletop fan. (Speaking as someone accustomed to Florida temperatures, humidity, and widely available air conditioning.)
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
Keep cool and stay safe, mes amis !
DanielHB · 1h ago
The main problem with high temperatures in cold countries is that most homes have a lot of insulation which keeps the heat accumulated during the day trapped in the home well into the night.
In warmer countries that heat usually dissipates by the time you go to sleep because the homes don't have as much insulation.
orwin · 3h ago
I was in southern Francz last week. There the heatwave (consistent 34C+ in the day, consistent 24+ during the night) started exactly two weeks ago with a single interruption last Wednesday night (which was nice but caused the wind to fall on Thursday making sailing boring).
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
There is nothing normal about this, as you can easily verify by looking at recorded weather history.
moi2388 · 2h ago
I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had these temperatures in summer as a child in the same location I am now.
notTooFarGone · 1h ago
Oh yes 2003, how about a 2003 every year?
I'd expect a bit more statistical knowledge here...
mslansn · 2h ago
It would seem foolish to trust the temperature records from the same people who want to install draconian measures using temperatures as an excuse.
1718627440 · 2h ago
How do you define "the same people"? Everyone who publishes weather data?
What agenda do you think people have that are long dead?
If you distrust everything you can measure it yourself. I am still in youth and even I can see changes myself. There used to be snow in the winter and now it's rare for example. Yes that is weather not climate; I don't live long enough to see climate changes. But there are oil paintings from 300 years ago. Are these fake?
Genuine question: How do you know, that people who know climate change is made-up are trustworthy and don't have their own agenda?
mslansn · 1h ago
I have no idea if they have their own agenda, but their ends (such as supporting private transportation and meat consumption) I support. Even if I didn’t trust them, and I don’t trust them either, the ends justify the means.
1718627440 · 50m ago
Do you despise public transport as a concept or just the current subpar implementation?
I think climate research is orthogonal to any political agenda, i.e. opposing private transportation and meat consumption doesn't follow from accepting that the climate is getting warmer and the validity of political agendas has no effect on the authenticity of climate research data.
1718627440 · 2h ago
What "draconian measures"? Planting trees and installing water fountains?
Still, it's hot. My daughter's school actually suggested parents keep their kids home today, as they aren't equipped for this heat.
Reminds me of when my colleague from Sri Lanka said that kids there will be sent home if the temperature drops below 16C. That’s a decent summers day in Scotland. We struggled to sleep last night after a sweltering 21C yesterday. I think I might burst into flames at 42C.
Think more like 16C at night feels colder than 16C during the day. The temperature in official thermometers is the overall air temperature in the shade which don't benefit from this overall radiating heat.
And of course humidity is also a huge part of how cold it feels. Which is why temperatures around 0C feel colder than -5C (because below zero the air humidity goes away).
You need much colder for this to happen. Google says:
Water vapor, even in freezing temperatures, doesn't instantly freeze into ice unless it comes into contact with a surface or the temperature drops extremely low (around -40°C).
Businesses open to the public and offices almost universally have AC, though, except maybe for mom and pop shops, so you definitely can go to the mall or the movies to get some fresh air.
The best place to go during weather like this is actually a grocery store: Picard, which only sells frozen food and so you get the escaped chill from the freezers.
Installing AC is actually not allowed in many places ( because of urbanism laws)
Only possible AC is those single hose mobile units which are wildly inefficient and close to useless while burning energy.
This has worried me since I was a child. If everyone has AC it's a race to the bottom as it gets warmer and warmer, AC has to work harder, using more and more energy etc. You end up with hellhole cities where you can't be outside at all. It's simply not sustainable. We have to do other things like having green spaces, less tarmac, shutters on windows etc.
[0] https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/08/30/fact-check-is-air-...
Localised to alleyways etc the effect can probably be even worse.
In the evening, say 19h00, the sun is low and it's quite pleasant out. ("It's a dry heat," as we say!) I always forget how far north Paris and Versailles are: the sky still has some light past 22h30 this time of year.
Keep cool and stay safe, mes amis !
In warmer countries that heat usually dissipates by the time you go to sleep because the homes don't have as much insulation.
Since I left last Saturday, the heat got close to 43 and birds are falling from their nest, knocked out by the high temperature. Good luck to anyone there.
Night really is the worst, I don't care about the day, personally.
I'd expect a bit more statistical knowledge here...
What agenda do you think people have that are long dead?
If you distrust everything you can measure it yourself. I am still in youth and even I can see changes myself. There used to be snow in the winter and now it's rare for example. Yes that is weather not climate; I don't live long enough to see climate changes. But there are oil paintings from 300 years ago. Are these fake?
Genuine question: How do you know, that people who know climate change is made-up are trustworthy and don't have their own agenda?
I think climate research is orthogonal to any political agenda, i.e. opposing private transportation and meat consumption doesn't follow from accepting that the climate is getting warmer and the validity of political agendas has no effect on the authenticity of climate research data.