The big ABC of heat - Part 2 How high can the zero degree mark actually climb?
Nobody can avoid the heat in summer in Switzerland. Reason enough to compile some useful and useless facts about the heat. Part 2 on omega location, sleeping tips and - Zurich. Ahem.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- blue News explains everything you need to know about summer and heat in a two-part ABC of heat - with a wink.
- You can find the first part with the letters A-N here.
N for zero degree limit
The zero degree line is moving further and further: the hotter it gets, the higher up it goes. Evaluations of the northern side of the Alps by MeteoSwiss have shown that the zero degree limit has risen in all calendar months since 1871. In some cases, the zero degree line has shifted by over 100 m within a decade.
The previous record is 5184 meters and dates from 25 July 2022, which is far higher than the highest mountain on Swiss soil. (Before you google it: that would be the Dufourspitze, 4634 meters high. You're welcome.)
Incidentally, the fact that the record was set in Payerne is hardly surprising: this is where the weather balloons rise to measure where the temperature drops into the minus range.
O for omega position
When high and low pressure areas block each other, a so-called omega layer is formed. The resulting pressure structure is reminiscent of the Greek capital letter omega Ω - hence the name. Such an omega layer means that nothing really changes in terms of weather over a longer period of time. Switzerland was under such an omega situation in spring 2023, for example.
P for cheers!
Even if the cool beer may be tempting, you should drink alcohol with caution during the heat.
Because alcohol works faster in the heat. This also has to do with the fact that the body dilates the blood vessels (see also L for lethargy). You get drunk more quickly and have to deal with circulatory problems more quickly. The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) therefore advises you to avoid alcoholic drinks in hot weather.
Q for mercury
Why has mercury become established as a filling material for thermometers? Well, because this liquid metal expands particularly regularly when exposed to heat - and leaves no traces in the tube.
However, because mercury is highly toxic, safer alternatives are now in use.
R for record
The hottest temperature ever measured in the world was recorded a hundred years ago in Death Valley, California: On July 10, 1913, the thermometer there read an incredible 56.7 degrees Celsius. However, because parts of the USA are suffering from an extreme heatwave this summer, the all-time record seemed to shake a few times and tourists flocked to the measuring station to have their photos taken in the scorching desert heat. However, the world record was never broken.
S for sleep
When the temperatures outside resemble a sweltering furnace, many people lose sleep. But there are tips and tricks on how you can arm yourself against hot nights: here in this video.
T for tropical night
You probably know this: if the temperature never drops below 20 degrees between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., it's called a tropical night. What you may not have known, however, is that tropical nights only occur in German-speaking countries. This is not due to the climate in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, but to the fact that this term is only used in German-speaking meteorology.
Until the beginning of the 21st century, there were hardly any tropical nights in Switzerland; they only occurred occasionally in Ticino, according to MeteoSwiss. However, this has changed as a result of climate change, and there are now individual tropical nights at lower altitudes throughout the country almost every year.
U for accident risk
The heat also increases the risk of accidents, warns Suva. According to their analysis, around seven percent more accidents occur on >> hot days with over 30 degrees than on other summer days. The reasons for this include fatigue and lack of concentration.
The accident insurance institution is therefore particularly concerned about all those who have to work outdoors, such as gardeners and roofers. However, Suva also advises everyone else to carry out heavy physical work outdoors during heatwaves in the morning hours if possible and to adapt their pace of work to the heat.
Extreme heat can lead to dehydration, sunstroke and heatstroke.
V for Venus
Mercury is the planet in our solar system that is closest to the sun. However, it is not the hottest: Mercury "only" reaches temperatures of 460 degrees. On Venus, on the other hand, which is much further away, temperatures can reach over 470 degrees.
The "Geo" magazine knows the reason: Venus' atmosphere consists mainly of carbon dioxide (CO2), "which stores the heat. This is why the temperature remains so high even at night". On Mercury, on the other hand, it cools down to minus 180 degrees at night.
W for wave
You don't ride a heatwave, you suffer from it. There are precise criteria here too: The federal government only speaks of a heatwave when a so-called daily average temperature (average value over 24 hours) of 25 degrees or more is measured on at least three days. If this is only the case for two days, it is referred to as a short heatwave.
X for XXL ice cream
Huge heat, huge ice cream? We understand. Incidentally, the world record for the most ice cream scoops in a cornet is held by this man here. Dimitri Panciera from Italy balanced no less than 125 scoops in one hand. Mamma mia!
Y for yogurt
Ice cream may be delicious, but it's also a real calorie bomb. Cream, sugar, maybe even heavy cream - if you like your ice cream with chocolate sauce and cream, you'll eat 400 kilocalories in just a few minutes.
Better for your figure: iced yogurt. Luckily, frozen yoghurt is all the rage anyway.
Z for Zurich
Okay, that was a trick, because it's not just Zurich residents who suffer from the heat, but everyone in urban areas. But the letter Z still had to be filled.
In any case, the temperature in cities is higher than in the surrounding area all year round, but according to MeteoSwiss, this heat island effect is particularly pronounced on summer nights. In Zurich (and other cities, yes) it can then be five to seven degrees warmer than in the surrounding area.
The reasons for these urban heat islands include denser development, the fact that more ground surface is sealed with asphalt, for example, and that more pollutants and waste heat are emitted. All this makes a city a hotspot.
But efforts are being made to cool down cities. You can see an example in the video below.
