26th June 2019 "Hell on Earth!"

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Wednesday 26th 75-83.5F. 75F at 8.00 and climbing fast. This corner of Denmark was the only place where temperatures did not fall below 20C overnight. What meteorologists call a "Tropical Night. My well shielded outside thermometer already showed 75F [24C] at 8.00 am this morning.

Absolute proof that we are living in the Matrix? The landscape keeps breaking down into unlikely, linear features.

 As usual, our neighbours still lit their fire and filled our house with smoke. Just to heat their water with their ancient, solid fuel boiler using broken pallets. And no, they aren't impoverished. They each have a far better and much newer car than our single one from the last century.

The sky is covered in thin cloud again but it won't hold temperatures down. It reached a very uncomfortable 83F [28-29C] yesterday. I couldn't stand to be in direct sunshine. Opening the north and south upstairs windows didn't help. There was no cross air movement nor useful "chimney effect" with the outdoor temperature exactly matching that inside.

Europe is facing "Hell on Earth" this week according to one meteorologist. 15,000 died, in France alone, during one former heat wave and temperatures records could be broken again. The young and elderly are particularly vulnerable. They are also the least able to escape the heat.

France is providing cool sanctuaries and public fountains this time but it hardly dents the very real dangers to those with perfectly normal homes and apartments. The vast majority of existing buildings in Europe have heat absorbing roofs and oversized solar heated windows. Add the lack of empathy from a century of self-deluded, sociopathic "architects" [ I use the term loosely] and it all adds up to increased, massed suffering for all at home and at work.

After the "Great Storm" of 1999 all the local houses with even slightly damaged roofs had matt black roofs fitted in place of traditional, orange clay tiles. God help them when the sun beats down on those! Not only do they become red hot but they hold the heat overnight. Most attic bedrooms must have become intolerably hot literally overnight.

Homes with cool, white roofs are as rare was hen's teeth. Welsh slate had/has a similar problem. Great at thermal absorption with a high thermal mass to release it to the unfortunate occupants suffering underneath it day and night.

The only really cool roofing materials I could find in a prolonged search of viable options were white corrugated, fiber-cement sheets and traditional thatch. Unfortunately thatch is hideously expensive. Made worse by high insurance costs. The white, corrugated sheets are one of the cheapest and lightest of roofing materials but unusual enough to be highly noticeable in the landscape. Do not be fooled by shiny metal roofing. It gets as hot as hell in direct sunshine. As does black [tar] roofing felt.

A sweaty walk to the lanes while dodging endless traffic. Already 80F [27C] by 9.30.am. The only cool moment was when I stepped out from behind a roadside hedge into a delicious breeze. Though it was only short lived as I descended into a bowl in the landscape.

The sky is strangely streaked in a fan shape of stripes with an epicenter. New bars were forming between the originals as I gazed upwards. A Red kite was trying to avoid the whirling gulls on top of the hill.

It peaked at 83.5F [29C] before dropping rapidly to 65F [18C] by 7pm. Heavy shopping in the car including more bags of compost for THG. Praise be Her name.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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