Health warnings have been issued across many parts of Europe as temperatures soar to the mid-40s Celsius.

A heatwave continues to grip large parts of Europe, with authorities in many countries issuing health warnings amid searing temperatures.

Southern Spain is the worst-affected region, with temperatures in the mid-40s Celsius recorded in Seville and neighbouring areas.

A new heat record for June of 46C was set on Saturday in the town of El Granado, according to Spain’s national weather service, which also said this month is on track to be the hottest June on record.

  • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    3·
    3 days ago

    There’s a huge difference in that between the UK and countries further to the south: for example, pretty much all dwellings in Portugal have outside window shutters whilst in the UK it’s incredibly rare (instead they have inside heavy courtains, so the light goes into the house and the INSIDE gets absorbed by transformed into heat by the courtains) but on the other hand housing insulation is generaly complete total crap in Portugal, but less so in the UK (still not at Scandinavia or Russian levels of efficiency, but way better than Portugal) so in Winter unless one uses massive amounts of electricity/gas for heating, it’s literally colder indoors in Portugal than in Britain.

    At the very least both Portugal and Spain are much better adapted to higher temperatures than elsewhere in Europe, and that’s anchored on traditional techniques (such as outside window shutters, houses painted in light colors and the type of roofing used) rather than the brute-force energy-heavy techniques (such as heavy use of Aircon) so common in places like the US.

    • freebee@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      Well in places like UK, people are installing AC instead of trying many other, passive cooling options first. They don’t plant a single shrub next to their building but do put in highly inefficient portable AC units meanwhile asphalting/concreting there driveways… That’s exactly what got me on my high horse. AC can be needed, but it’s definitely not the first way to go in a northern-ish European place if the building doesn’t have outside shutters, very non green streets around etc. It’s not the miracle solution, AC adds to climate change, other ways of dealing with heat do not.

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        1·
        15 hours ago

        I installed triple glazing and started shutting windows during the day, but since there’s little ventilation, that means the air gets really bad here eventually. There’s trees on the south side of the house and no windows on that wall. I’m further north than the majority of the UK (think between Inverness and Shetland for my latitude - except I’m at the Baltic sea).

        The AC is just necessary in the last few years. A decade ago it got hot, but not unbearably. Now it’s worse. I think the increased insulation is actually making AC-less, windows-closed situation heat worse since there are no shutters. I do wonder if polarizing film would be an effective alternative, as I don’t want it to be dark 24/7 and I’d forget to re-open the shutters when the summer is over lol