Countries Climate Battle - UK vs Sweden (records, temp, storms)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I can't tell you how many Germans I have met who have their own summer homes on the Greek islands and especially on Crete.
August is also when the locals have their vacation time.
I like that..... You don't cheat with AC So what about your heat? Is that also cheating to enjoy your indoor stays? And don't forget about the summer of 2003 when all those thousands with no AC died in Northern and Western Europe in temperatures that are quite common here.
Those idiots have been leaving the northern states for 4 decades + now. And for the most part, they aren't coming back. Something had to be attracting and keep them there. I'm betting a warmer climate plays a big role in it. Personally I enjoy my winters. If I need to get away and lay on the beach for a couple of weeks in December and then again in March, my job allows me that.... In a typical summer, the temps here are usually acceptable. Come to think of it, the worst summers that I've experienced in Chicago where I would have or did spend part of them somewhere warmer were the following:
1979 horrible but I was only 7
1981
1985
1990
1992 second worst
1996 horrible
2000
2003
2004 third worst
2009 worst ever
2013 worst end to July ever
I haven't met any Germans with homes in Greece (my best friend is German) and I know a fair few.
Most of the people that died in the 2003 heatwave were in France, it wasn't actually that bad here. Also, the temperatures there would be far from common for you. Lyon for instance had 11 consecutive days above 100F, and there were places hotter than there. Those sort of temps without a/c would have been unbearable.
Many lives would have been saved if AC was readily available.
Quote:
Also, the temperatures there would be far from common for you. Lyon for instance had 11 consecutive days above 100F, and there were places hotter than there.
I was speaking generally. Upper 90's and 100 degrees is common in the US during the summer for many regions. Here too during hot summers.
My suburb had 19 days at or above 35C in July/Aug of 2010.
But no, not 11 consecutive days of 100F/38C+ for the city of Chicago that is for sure Chicago longest stretch is 8 consecutive days back in July 1936. Our suburbs away from the lake saw double the city count that summer. It was during the Dust Bowl where humidity levels were suppressed for as a result of the drought.... Higher dew points here make it more difficult to reach the century mark then in drier climates. We have had 10-15 days straight of 100F/38C+ heat indecies.... Just saying.
Last July our average high was 33.4C at Chicago/Midway with a Mean of 28.2C
Quote:
Those sort of temps without a/c would have been unbearable.
Agreed. Spending August in Athens back in 1989 with no AC was very uncomfortable. Day after day in the upper 30's to near 40C for 2 weeks+. I remember sleeping on the balcony of my cousin's house. Still though, it was not life threatening, as they are well aware what to do and what not to do in those temperatures.
Last edited by chicagogeorge; 08-25-2013 at 09:32 PM..
It doesn't seem like anywhere in Sweden is as warm in winter as places along the southern edge of England.
I can't find any official data for Yootabory, but the Wiki article, and the WMO, have averages quite a bit colder than any settlement in the UK, with Jan about the same as our second coldest December ever.
So it's all about the money and has nothing to do with the weather huh?
Hey, I do go down to Puerto Rico for a few days in the winter and Florida in March during spring break just to get a taste of some sun and heat. I love cold snowy winters, but I need to bask in the sun at least for a few days. I've met plenty of Europeans on holiday in Miami during March, and not only from the colder climates of Northern Europe. Lots of Italians, Greeks and so on. All there mainly because of the weather.
What is not typical is what we experienced this year. I went to Miami in June when school let out (to visit friends, not because of the weather), and Pensacola in late July this summer (for lake of a better word to describe it) when the temperature was closer to what you typically would experience and call it summer... Coolest last nine days of July on record. The average high was only 23.7C. Unheard of.
I'm an extreme weather fan, have zero tolerance for boring climates.
I didn't say it had nothing to do with the weather, as I quite clearly stated the weather is better, as you can see in what you quoted
But yes, for us in the UK at least, it is CHEAPER to spend a fortnight in Spain/Greece etc.. than spend a fortnight on holiday somewhere in the UK (unless you are going to spend 2 weeks in a grotty B&B in Blackpool lol), I don't know aboutr other northern European countries as I can only speak for where I live & I don't pretend to know everything about a country where I don't even live, perhaps that's something you can take on board
And for the record the UK climate is not boring, that would mean our weather was always the same, which it isn't. I'd class boring as somewhere where you know what the weather was going to be, like Chicago for instance, you know winters are going to be freezing cold & snowy & summers hot & sunny. That to me is boring. I like the unpredictable nature of the UK climate...
And just because lots of Europeans head to Florida it doesn't mean they are all escaping an awful cold climate What about the hoards of American tourists that flock to London? Are they all here for our weather? People do visit other countries other than for the weather you know
I didn't say it had nothing to do with the weather, as I quite clearly stated the weather is better, as you can see in what you quoted
You are insisting that Northern Europeans or specifically Brits go to the Med MAINLY because it is cheaper. I believe it has as much if not more to do with the warmer climate.
Quote:
I'd class boring as somewhere where you know what the weather was going to be, like Chicago for instance, you know winters are going to be freezing cold & snowy & summers hot & sunny. That to me is boring. I like the unpredictable nature of the UK climate...
Chicago weather is so predictable, that we have had 27C temps in November and -22C temps.. We had a 19C high temps and EF3 tornadoes in January, and snow in October and 33C. . In London, it will never, get that cold or that hot in any season, hence the maritime nature of the the climate.
Quote:
And just because lots of Europeans head to Florida it doesn't mean they are all escaping an awful cold climate
That would be one reason to do so. Especially when it is too cold to suntan or swim. Spring Breakers certainly don't go down to Florida to visit the Everglades
Quote:
What about the hoards of American tourists that flock to London? Are they all here for our weather? People do visit other countries other than for the weather you know
When you see people laying on the beach in South Beach Miami and you ask them why are you here and they say because it's too cold to tan in Italy during March then you know it's the weather that brought them there.
You are insisting that Northern Europeans or specifically Brits go to the Med MAINLY because it is cheaper. I believe it has as much if not more to do with the warmer climate.
Chicago weather is so predictable, that we have had 27C temps in November and -22C temps.. We had a 19C high temps and EF3 tornadoes in January, and snow in October and 33C. . In London, it will never, get that cold or that hot in any season, hence the maritime nature of the the climate.
That would be one reason to do so. Especially when it is too cold to suntan or swim. Spring Breakers certainly don't go down to Florida to visit the Everglades
When you see people laying on the beach in South Beach Miami and you ask them why are you here and they say because it's too cold to tan in Italy during March then you know it's the weather that brought them there.
I'd have to agree, I live in London and whilst I think our climate is often described as worse than it is, we don't get too much variation compared to more continental climates. A few years ago we hit 30C in October and April here, and in the past few years we also had snow in these months but these occur quite rarely.
Chicago weather is so predictable, that we have had 27C temps in November and -22C temps.. We had a 19C high temps and EF3 tornadoes in January, and snow in October and 33C. .
In London, it will never, get that cold or that hot in any season, hence the maritime nature of the the climate.
The record high in London is 38°C and it certainly exceeds 33°C, including twice this year... but the average annual number of days to exceed 30 is only 4-6 days a year, because of the high latitude and maritime climate.
As the last poster said we don't get loads of temperature variation compared to continental climates, but I find there to be enough of it for my liking. My only issue with it is it is generally cooler than I prefer. But one month one year can be much different from the same month the year before. Like our very snowy cold windy March this year compared to the warm sunny summery one in 2012. More than enough variation for me anyway, to keep it interesting.
I'd have to agree, I live in London and whilst I think our climate is often described as worse than it is, we don't get too much variation compared to more continental climates.
Well noooo, really? I could never have guessed that on my own.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So what about your heat? Is that also cheating to enjoy your indoor stays? And don't forget about the summer of 2003 when all those thousands with no AC died in Northern and Western Europe in temperatures that are quite common here.
Chicago longest stretch is 8 consecutive days back in July 1936. Our suburbs away from the lake saw double the city count that summer. It was during the Dust Bowl where humidity levels were suppressed for as a result of the drought.... Higher dew points here make it more difficult to reach the century mark then in drier climates. We have had 10-15 days straight of 100F/38C+ heat indecies.... Just saying.
In London, it will never, get that cold or that hot in any season, hence the maritime nature of the the climate.
