Heat almost hazardous to health'

January 26 2007 at 05:52PM

The Eastern Cape had temperatures so high on Friday that they were almost hazardous to health, the SA Weather Service said.

"Both Port Elizabeth and East London are at around a discomfort index of 107," said spokesman Garth Sampson.

He said an index of 110 was hazardous to health.

When temperature and humidity are both high, the body cannot cool itself adequately by sweating. The discomfort index is a measure of this.

"People should not engage in vigorous outdoor activities as some areas along the coast might have reached 110 already.

"Special care should be taken to keep the sick and elderly people cool," said Sampson.

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In Uitenhage, the temperature was 40.2 degrees Celsius while Somerset East recorded 40.7.

In East London and Port Elizabeth, the temperatures were above 35 degrees Celsius.

"The good news is the wind should turn west by 3pm bringing instant relief in Port Elizabeth.

"But East Londoners will have to wait until around 5pm when the wind will change in that area, bringing the temperatures down," Sampson said.

Meanwhile, The Herald newspaper reported on Friday that dozens of fires had destroyed large tracts of veld in the Nelson Mandela metropolitan area as a result of the heat wave.

The high temperatures were wreaking havoc on agricultural production, with farmers saying if good rains did not come soon a crippling drought was imminent.

"The blistering heat has caused a string of veld fires in the past two days, with firefighters, in Nelson Mandela Bay in particular, working around the clock fighting runaway fires sparked by the heat and dry weather."

At least 55 veld fires have been reported in and around the city in the past two days, the newspaper reported.

Weather officials said it was normal at this time of the year to experience hot conditions and very little rain.

The rest of the country had also been experiencing hot conditions, Sampson said, adding that it would be cooler on Friday night.

"On Saturday it would be warm with maximum temperatures in most parts of the country at 25 degrees Celsius."

He said the temperatures were expected to rise in the whole country by Sunday.

"The temperatures had been high in the country for the past week, with Cape Town also reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

"The hit will cool of tomorrow (Saturday) but start hitting up again on Sunday." - Sapa

40 °C is standard for at least 2-3 weeks every summer here in Greece.
Last summer the highest in Athens was 43°C

Considering the warnings about global warming, I am sure we will top it this year.

Maybe we will all end up burning in hell on this very planet we are living on for what we have done to it. We deserve it !!

Original von Carsten
40 °C is standard for at least 2-3 weeks every summer here in Greece.
Last summer the highest in Athens was 43°C

Considering the warnings about global warming, I am sure we will top it this year.

Maybe we will all end up burning in hell on this very planet we are living on for what we have done to it. We deserve it !!

carsten not WE .......some of us have tried to change that tune.........but regrettably the one who are really responsible by denying that fact will have a way out of desaster.maybe that's the reason for all this travelling to the moon and mars..............
the germany today "celebrated" the inauguration of a new "space sience institute". for what reason??? playing games with the big ones? being part of the superior states? creating a space for the rich and famous incl. government if everything on earth has been distroyed?
no tay payer's money should be allowed to support these useless programs............there is so much do do on earth where we should pay our money for!

True, we know more about space than the depth of the oceans. They should focus on what feeds us and keeps us alive.