The heat record of 2019
🌡📈🔥
On 25th July 2019, more than 40 °C was measured. Never before in the Netherlands was an ambient temperature this high measured. The day before was an all-time high as well. If you live in eastern Europe, you likely experienced hot weather, too.
Of course, with the enhanced greenhouse effect it would only be a matter of time. But it was still a special day.
You may live in a hot country and think "this isn't that hot", but in the Netherlands nothing is build for these kinds of temperatures. Houses aren't designed for this. Most homes do not have air conditioning. Tarmac has to be salted to prevent cracks. Bridges need to be kept cold so they can close.
Ironically, houses here are also not build for cold(subzero) temperatures. Many houses are poorly insulated, for some strange reason. I read somewhere that the Netherlands has the most poor insulation compared to neighbours at similar latitudes, but I cannot find a source, so it might as well be false.
Even though a month earlier I experienced temperatures of 35 °C at day and 22 °C at night, I already forgot how annoying this is and how to adapt to it. That time I forgot what it was like a year before, with similar temperatures.
Something fun happened as well, because it was so hot, when I filmed bricks on the ground with my phone they seemed slightly more purple-white-ish, likely because the photo sensor picks up infrared radiation. This was done at a darker place. But I am not sure if this is the case or that it's just poor white balance.
During the day I tried to remain calm and just sit or lay down, either inside or outside the house. Or sit in the relaxing inflatable pool. I remember that so clearly, sitting comfortably in that pool under a small tree, with no to barely any clouds, with the air beeing blue-greyish because of some minor smog.
I have experienced hotter climates around the equator(i.e. where it's not hotter but it feels more hot because of a high humidity) and high temperatures during day is not a huge issue. However what is an issue is sleeping. When the temperature gets above a certain threshold my body just doesn't feel sleepy and it's hard to sleep. In my room it gets hot quickly so that's another pain. It was more than 25 °C at 00:00, above the average maximum(!) temperature normally measured on this day. I slept in the corridor near the front door of my house, and this was a somewhat comfortable place to be given the circumstances. Earlier I just slept downstairs.
On Saturday 27th July 2019, thunderstorm clouds approached. This was great, I felt a huge relief. I was so happy. Finally, it was over. I could sleep normally again. I could do normal stuff.
Not sure why I made this article, but here it is. Today it was 24 °C, a little on the hot side at this time of the year. That reminded me of the hot time I had.
