here in Blighty!
I know some of you wonder what all the fuss is about but it doesn't often get into the 30's outside of London here in the UK but its not just the temperature, yesterday it was over 85% humidity too and that's the 'urgh' element.
Monday wasn't too bad, a trip to the shop then I spent several hours writing.
Yesterday, with a north/west breeze was always going to be a trip into Wales but with the forecast hitting 30c I revised the long ride into the hills down to a shorter affair looping through Monmouthshire. so it was along the coastal fringes for a bit before turning north to follow the Usk to the town of that name and then over the hill to Raglan. Not hard riding for sure, I took the turn for the castle, my lunch stop rather than a visit today, finding the café open was a bonus, a tea and cake bonus! By now it was quite warm, I was glad that my return route didn't include too much up.
Across to Monmouth on the old A40 then having negotiated the town centre stupidity, it was a ride down the Wye valley back to Chepstow. Of course, 'down' in this case includes quite a bit of up as the road neither sticks to the riverside or the contours for very long, its a couple of miles uphill out of Tintern before a generally downhill run back to the Severn crossing. Being as it was very warm by now, I did make a stop for drink and Eis in Chepstow before tackling the last hour of the ride.
Yup it was hot, yep, I did take a 'soft' route but even so I rolled up 1100m and accumulated 145km, the humidity was horrible, the heat persisting late into the evening. My programme going into the weekend is on hold, i'll see what the weather brings before committing myself
And so to today, a similar forecast to Tuesday so any serious exercise was put on hold, instead its been a bit of 'gardening' and attempting to keep cool.
I've put you a new Gaby chapter up, As Girls Go. Its my intention to start posting the next book, that's 22, on Sunday so theres something to look forward to!
Tschussie and I'll see you next time!
Madeline Anafrid
Comments
The lack of wind does not help
one little bit.
Most UK homes don't have aircon and rely on some movement of air for cooling. Zero breeze and high humidity makes for a 'ugh' if you go outside after around 09:00.
I was out on the Motorcycle first thing yesterday. Double ugh with all that protective gear on. At least I was back home before it got too hot.
Take care on your bike. I've seen a few near misses this past week when car drivers get frustrated at not being able to overtake a cyclist. When they do, they don't leave anywhere near enough gap.
Samantha
15:36 Update
Thunder, Lightning and heavy rain. Temp dropped by at least 5C. That's summer over!
Feel for
While I can feel for you folks, it has been in the middle to upper 30's where I am at for several weeks and if not for AC, it would be quite unbearable. And the humidity doesn't help one bit. At times an afternoon rain storm that might cool a tiny bit but add to the humidity level.
For those like me in the US, the temps have been in the upper 90's and at times above 100°F.
the humidity
is the difference, the UK has a maritime climate which means high humidity, its like being in the Okifenoki Swamp!
Hoping that the thunder we can hear has some wet attached, last night it was electrical, spectacular but doing nothing to give heat relief!
Madeline Anafrid Bell
its not
just dumbass car drivers, I've been close passed at least twice this week by motorbikes for which there is absolutely no excuse other than they are tw#ts. Yesterday alone I had two separate incidents of vans passing me then changing lanes across my front to turn left, no excuse other than being d#@ks. Like the close passing, its done on purpose as 'a bit of fun', its a good job we aren't in the US or there would be a lot of white vans with holes in the bodywork.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Heat
The Phoenix AZ area is headed for a record high ave temp this summer. The average temp is over 99°F and the ave daily max temp is over 110. Record high for phoenix is 122°F; we've only hit 118, but we can't cool as well as 20-30 years ago. The early summer may be hot, but is comfortable in the morning. When the sky is clear (almost always in May and June) the temperature swing from low to high is 30° or more. This means the high can be 110 at 5PM but at sunrise 80. This very comfortable. The reason for this temp swing is the very low humidity, typically 5% or less.
Sometime in mid June or later we get the AZ monsoon. Monsoon just means change in wind direction, but for us the wind from the south brings in more moisture. We usually get thunderstorms or dust storms in the afternoon or evening. There is also a greenhouse effect. Aside from CO2 and other persistent greenhouse gases, water vapor has a strong greenhouse effect, but it's temporary. The water can rain out and must be replaced to maintain the humidity.
The GH effect stops the 30° temp swing because the heat can't radiate into space as easily. With fewer clouds the temp swing may be 20°. The RH is still low, like 30%, but even this is less comfortable at temps of 90 or more. More or almost complete clouds, a rare event, lowers the high temp but raises the low temp, maybe low of 95 and high of 105.
I used to be able to bicycle at 100° if the sun wasn't high in the sky, like before 9AM. Now I can get home, if I have plenty to drink at 96. I'm usually able to start riding at 15 to 30 min after sunrise, but I sometimes ride for 3 hours so I'm toasted, almost to heat exhaustion, when I get home.
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee