Friday 9 August 2013

Hottest week ever

It's official - yesterday's temperatures in Warsaw were the highest ever recorded. At 37C, it didn't feel too bad (to me anyway) as the air was also remarkably dry (37% humidity). At four o'clock this morning, the temperature bottomed out at 23C, and so, the hottest day was followed by the hottest night. Click to enlarge and look closely at the chart on the left!


What does it feel like at 37C? It's worth bearing in mind that in the UK, 20C (68F in old money) feels hot. 26C in London is a heatwave. 37C is body heat.

The asphalt on the Most Północny (North Bridge) was melting today, a year and three months after it was opened. (Link here - thanks Marcin Daniecki. )It does make one think - Warsaw regularly experiences temperature fluctuations of over 65 degrees Celsius (from -25C to +35C) within the course of the year.

Followers of Warsaw University of Technology's Physics Institute meteorology website will have noticed the recent addition of the storm detectors (one in the north-east of Poland, one in the south-west). Looking at it as I write, I can see that Warsaw may just escape a maximal soaking, and that Łódź is getting it in the neck right now.


Indeed, as I write, sipping a Chilean red and listening to an Eagles album (!), I can hear the first rain drops against the windows, as forecast. The thunder is rumbling... a flash of thunder... Time to get the camera on the tripod...


UPDATE, 01:30. The storm's passed; the rain was intensive, the lightning magnificent.

This time last year:
Progress along the second line of the Warsaw Metro

This time two years ago:
Doric arches, ul. Targowa

This time three years ago:
A place in the country, everyone's ideal

This time six years ago:
I must go down to the sea again

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Re. your point on the Marie Curie bridge I was in the Skylight building at Zloty Tarasy last week when the outside temp was 35. One of the most modern offices in Warsaw and the aircon seemingly works only up to temperatures of 30 degrees - beyond that natures natural defences against over heating need to kick in. Now sitting in the lounge at Chopins airport listening to the lovely rain - next thing we know the roads will be flooded again!!

Też Marcin :) said...

"The asphalt on the Most Północny (North Bridge) was melting today, a year and three months after it was opened. (Link here - thanks Marcin Daniecki. )"

Sir, that's gonna be a fuszerka. :-D Remember, what I wrote some posts earlier?