The Big Melt
To put it succinctly, it is fucking hot.
I know there are people who will sneer and say they are used to temperatures nearing boiling point and that they’d be wearing overcoats in our temperatures, but for Ireland, this is reeely reeely hot. And humid. Which makes it seem even hotter.
We are all waiting to see if records can be beaten [33.3 degrees, set in 1887]. Until then of course they can’t mention Warble Gloaming. Currently we are around the thirty degree mark [Celsius, not Fahrenheit – I woudn’t call 30°F anything out of the ordinary]
The weather forecasters are of course carrying on their gloomy predictions. Never be happy if you can find something miserable to say.
So we are getting warnings about water be it sea, river or lake. Stay away from it. You’ll drown. Paddling pools should have no more than a quarter inch of water or you’ll drown. Don’t drive because the tar on the roads is melting and that’s dangerous. Keep out of the sun for fuck’s sake or you’ll instantly be turned into one big cancerous tumour. Keep drinking lots of water or you’ll dehydrate. Stop drinking water as the reservoirs are running dry. If you suffer from hay fever don’t breathe. Needless to say we are on one of our coloured alerts. I suppose they’ll be naming heatwaves next?
I had to go into Skobieville earlier to buy a tank. Not one of the type that has a gun unfortunately; more the type that holds water. It was miserable in the car even with the sun roof open and all the side windows down. I still baked and am now ready to be served up with roast potatoes and cabbage.
Tomorrow, maybe, comes the job of replacing the old tank on the roof with the new one. The old one is a galvanised one and is way past its sell-by. It’s rusting and on the point of springing several leaks. A bit like Herself actually. It’s going to be more than hot up there so I might give the job to someone else. I have melted enough for one week.
Anyway I have to go out again tomorrow. Daughter has to drop her car over to Spanner to fix the massive list of items that caused the car to fail its annual health test, and I have to bring her home again.
I told her she should have gone to Spanner first before the test, but would she listen?
Not a chance.
Does not Lilly The Limp not have some fine young strong strapping fella-me-lad who can clamber up to the loft and do it all for her dear Ol’ Dad while she hobbles around the kitchen making the requisite gallons of tea ?Â
Are you joking me? Her pals would have the corrugated iron stripped off the roof thinking it was lead.
I don’t know which is the more worrying -the fact your baby girl associates with criminals …or the damning indictment of your education system.
And whatever you do, don’t quench your thirst with beer as it will only dehydrate you.
Today was about 28 degrees, however the North Sea comes to our aid from tomorrow – thankfully.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2650225
Unfortunately it doesn’t look good for our farmers this year, not unless they stump up for some form of irrigation.
And our forests are tinder dry, though they do smell gorgeous; pine resin is heady stuff.
The bugs love it, as I can attest with the scooter and its windscreen covered in their carcasses.
Returning to England after thirty odd years, I was surprised to discover the testing system here has not changed. Tests are performed by garages rather than government testing centres, they check what is wrong and fix it, then carry out the test
I take it k8 is now operating on a working pair of pins again. Good!
What about the trains n trams?
Haven’t they had their speeds reduced in case the steel rails warp n twist?
Over here they are going out gritting roads for fucks sake to ‘make them safer’ and the local water monopoly are issuing ‘usage advisories’ via the compliant media, silly buggers.
As for the heat its welcome but nothing of any note. It was much warmer a few years back as had portable fans running for a few days to try and move the air about. Haven’t needed them this time.Â
In 1976 I was fifteen and can quite clearly recall that very warm summer. well the hot bits, and this summer is nowhere near in terms of temperature stickiness.
“I take it k8 is now operating on a working pair of pins again“ Depends on how you define “working”. She’s supposed to use crutches for another month or so, but she is the definition of stubbornness. Won’t listen to anyone [least of all me] so she occasionally limps around, gasping and moaning and when I tell her she could be causing permanent damage she just laughs at me. I give up.