I live on the east coast where the heat of summer is WET. I really hate it-just zaps me.

The dogs get a longer walk in the morning, then go out in the shady backyard to run around and do their business for about 10 minutes at a time. They're usually glad to come back in!

I walk a mile outdoors about 6 a.m. every day. Today...it was amazing - on 77 degrees! West coast of Florida is so hot the morning paper had an article about how much hotter than usual it is; and how long it will last. I noted that one day next week there is a 60% chance of rain totaling .02". Good grief!

We're very much hotter and drier than normal. We should have about 80-90 ml of rain in June and we had 18ml. And none so far in July.

All last summer we had 4 days where we hit 30°C, and we've had 9 so far just since June and this week has been 32° The forecast is the same for next week. Ontario is very humid, and the heat index is in the high 30's low 40's.

The normal should be 26. I absolutely hate it, hate it.

I'm in Newfoundland - today we could be getting a windchill advisory, certainly not a heat advisory! LOL

It's freezing here today and I've turned on the heat. It's currently 7C and the winds are 50km/h.

Today in central NC it will be in the mid 90's with a heat index probably approaching 110. I work in lawn care, it's going to be tough to find grass to cut in the shade!!

Actually, my boss is really good about not working in dangerous conditions. We have no lawn care emergencies. If conditions are dangerous, it can wait.

Lucille's comment about her green beans reminded me that the landlord was showing me where the squirrels have been eating them off the vine, to get hydrated.

This is the absolute reason I HATE summer. It's not fit for man or beast and how anyone could like it is beyond me. I have to walk the dog at midnight, can't do any projects outside, and almost collapse watering plants every day which has to be done since the whole state is under a drought and the forecast is the same. HATE HATE it. In winter ,I'm outside all the time in all kinds of weather. Never, unless there's an ice storm, do we not go out and walk three miles a day.

I think it must be too dry here for a heat index warning but we have had a heat advisory every day this week. Supposed to be 104 today but I love it.

The heat doesn't bother me at all, another reason to go swimming.

Texas_Gem, heat advisories are related to the heat index. Today the heat index for us is 105-109.

And the heat index depends on two things- temperature and relative humidity. Amarillo is now >100 but dry with 15% humidity so not too bad. Houston is mid 90s but over 50% humidity, sticky and muggy and so the heat index impact is that it's as if the temps were 10+ degrees higher

Well this explains why I never hear about heat index.

Bigger Heat Index

I don't think our humidity is normally above 25% unless a storm is on its way in summertime.

Do hear a lot about wind chill factor during winter though.

Our hottest days are yet to come. Right now, we are enjoying mid to upper 70's with a nice on-shore breeze. Just wait, though, I'll be wailing and whining when we are stuck with hot days well into October and many of you are enjoying the first crisp days of autumn.

grainlady, your father's tale about the humid summers in the Midwest is colorful but in truth it has nothing to do with surface water. There are several areas across the globe that have "humid continental (ie, inland) climates" and the Midwest happens to be in one of them. The West Coast of North America sits adjacent to a very large body of water yet our normal pattern is dry summertime air (aside from humidity caused by the late summer monsoon season in the desert southwest).

You can read about it in the attached link. If I had to guess, these humid patterns probably developed following the last Ice Age, some 10,000 or more years ago.

Humid Continental Climate

There are other parts of the US that have humid summertime weather, like the Deep South including along the Gulf and the East, but this is from maritime sources, warm air passing over warm ocean water.

All I can say is it's crazy hot. You walk outside and it takes your breath away. I feel like I can't get the air into my lungs. I have been down with a severe bronchitis infection so not that easy to breathe as is. It truly does Zap the energy right out of you. But I still prefer summer to a icy cold snowy winter. Now a nice mild winter is tolerable. I feel so bad for people who have to work out in this heat. At least our workers are in the air conditioning.

I'm with you Raven. I will take summer over freezing to death in the winter months, but this extreme heat we are having here in GA right now is making it very hard on those of us with breathing problems. I am so thankful my car and house both have air conditioning.

Temperature about 80F with an occasional light shower - raises the humidity to make it a bit uncomfortable, but I mowed the front lawn this morning and it wasn't bad becasue there was no direct sun. Our night time temps have been 60 to 70 F, not bad. After this front passes through, it will cooler and sunny for the weekend. Good summer weather so far, but July is not over! At this location (SE Wisc), July and first half of August can be miserable.

So far, I have been enjoying summer. It beats shoveling snow.

I'd rather freeze than cook, although, as the saying goes, it isn't the heat it's the humidity. It is stinkin hot here today -- upper 90's, but doesn;t feel so terribly humid. Wish I were in Newfoundland.

Right now it is 95 degrees and 52% humidity. The next 10 days range from 90-99 degrees with lows from 70-75 degrees. I get to the park by 8:00 and walk 3.5 miles and I am soaked in sweat by the time I get home. I wish I could get there earlier, but I just like sleep too much.

We had to turn on the heat this morning because it got down to 66 overnight. It was low 50's outside. We had a heat wave for 3 weeks that finally broke a week ago when the fog returned. I hate hot weather. I am miserable when we get heat waves because we don't have AC.

Our car said 100 when we came out of the grocery store tonight. It did go down to the mid 90's as we drove. So I walked the dog at midnight and even then it was hot. I love winter and am counting down the days. You can always put layers on, but I can't take any more clothes off...just a tank and shorts.

Okay, I actually experienced an "it's too hot" moment tonight for the first time.

It was 10 pm, the temp was 89 degrees and we had NO wind (very unusual for this area)

Even after a dip in the pool I was still hot.

Leaving the store today the thermometer in my car said 107 at 4:30pm.

I can't help but chuckle at the people who think it's too hot when it is in the upper 80s/lower 90s.

I'm sure they also chuckle when I complain of freezing my butt off in 30-40°F weather.

Funny how we get acclimated to our regional weather isn't it?

Sorry lily316 but I still have to disagree with you. I've heard the "you can always put more clothes on" argument since I was a child and I still think it's balderdash.

It doesn't matter how much clothing I pile on, if it is cold I'm cold!!!

I would still rather live in scorching heat than freezing cold.

Personal preferences eh?!?!??

Re temp readings in a car -

Car temperature sensors are sometimes mounted near the engine or radiator, or the front bumper. When the car is parked after being driven awhile, heat coming up from the pavement (especially if black) and also from the engine will increase the temperature around the sensor and result in a false higher reading. It's not unusual to see a high reading when you first start a car and then see it drop pretty quickly once you start moving.

Texas_Gem

I agree. For some years when I was younger I lived in NYC. I had to walk to the subway in the snow, take the train, and then walk from that station to my high school, then do the same to go back home. I still remember the misery.

Texas...you call that misery, I call yesterday walking in my yard to water my flowers with sweat dripping off me and actually feeling dizzy till I went in and hydrated.... total misery. . The cold crisp air in the winter never ever forces me inside, unless it's around zero. We adjust to where we live, and I have lived in PA my entire life, and it gets hotter every year.

Currently, they say the temperature is 96 with a heat index of 111 (humidity 54%). I tried to boot my dog outside for business. She got to the front porch and looked at me like I'd lost my mind. She doesn't like heat, cold or rain, and can hold it a very long time. :)

My temp is 94 with a humidity of 56, and it is just unbelievably hot. I go outside with the dogs, and we are only out long enough for them to do their business.

We did exercise and some gardening at 7AM.

I took this picture about 40 miles from our home in the south this afternoon. I don't even want to know what the heat index was but humidity levels were high. Luckily we were headed out for a week in the mountains!

Our AC decided that this was a good day to die. Parts for the repair aren't available tonight so we got a portable for the bedroom. The rest of the house is a sweltering 88, but the bedroom is a cooling down 79. Hubby has a a garage AC!

Ugh. AC going out is never any fun. Ours decided to crap out in 2011 when I had a newborn at home and we reached a record high of 111 (my homes thermometer actually showed 113 but the official recorded at the airport temp was 111)

I hope everyone cools off quickly and easily.

We were overcast and had light rain all day today so we only reached a max of 97. It was quite nice outside.

I could get used to this whole rain without a thunderstorm thing!

I love our weather here on the central coast of California...we are going to Florida at the end of the month.

I dread the heat and humidity but will deal with it because we will be with our grandchildren.

Its just plain ole hot here in OK!

I wanna know how people survived before AC was invented. I watch Little House on the Prairie & see all the women wearing long thick dresses, aprons & bonnets. And their night clothes are just as hot & wear long nightgowns & bonnets to bed! I can't imagine cooking dinner over an open fire in a house that's already 100 degrees inside.

Side note, Europeans always say Americans keep it too cold here which I find interesting.

It is currently 67 degrees in Walnut Grove Minnesota, the site of the Little House on the Prairie.

I recall my summers when I was very small, staying with my grandparents in Connecticut. It could get very warm in the middle of the day, but often we wore sweaters in the evening.

I do think that even in Minnesota in the middle of the day in the height of summer, the long dresses and aprons might have been too warm.

Summer is my least favorite season of the year, except for our tomatoes. I like darkness/nighttime, rain, fog, chill in the air, wood fires and winter. Maybe I have a personality disorder. I dunno.

I could be your twin, seagrass. I agree with every word you wrote. Love winter, crisp air, rain, snow, wood stove fires...the whole season.

I'm with you Seagrass and lily! No personality disorder for us! Winter is it!

Glad to hear there are winter lovers out there, because my whole family thinks I'm nuts. They love the hot sticky weather and get sick of my complaining. The days are getting shorter now, and it won't be too long when I can actually walk my three miles briskly and not trudge along with a dog who looks at me thinking...why are we doing this?...lol

Chicago has been a bit muggy and warm this past week and it will return on monday. I either work outdoors in the garden very earlier or as the sun is setting. Or just accept that I will be a soaking, sweaty mess. Emma dog is goofy as she will lie in the sun for about 15 minutes then head for the shade. But all of this beats snow and ice and freezing rains.

As for the settlers and farmers many years ago, farmers would wear wool long johns under their clothes, and a bandana under a wide brimmed hat. Once they were wet with sweat, any breeze would give a cooling feel. The same for the ladies with their undergarments. Many would take a rest during the heat of the day in the shade. They would also increase their salt intake. Men in factories did the same. I can recall in the 60's going into the plant were my father worked and salt tablets were there in a dispenser for the workers.

Cooking was often done outdoors on a fire or if they had money, a separate cook house. People slept out doors or on the roof of their building. The well off may have has a sleeping porch too complete with screens.

I for one, am thankful for AC!

One helpful situation for folks who live on the Canadian prairies is that when it gets to 40 below ... it's the same in either Fahrenheit or Celsius.

For varying temperatures ... and when you're not sure what may come next ... it's "layering", folks, with various layers available in case of need.

One may need a capacious backpack (or a trailer) or something like one of those castered buggies with handle at some stores in order to take care of the unwanted surplus at any given moment.

I've found during the recent heat that I spend a shorter than usual time in the garden, then go into the house for some rest, refreshment, etc. and on one day last week found that I was very hot in the house, sweating heavily. A folding chair under a tree is helpful, as the slight breeze makes a huge difference.

Talk about lazy, or thoughtless, or not thinking clearly, or whatever ... I have at least one fan of my own, and a couple that I'm storing for a friend ... and I have a distinct impression that to have plugged at least one of them in near me in the house might well have eased the situation.

Oh, well ... "too soon old - too late smart!"!

The temp. has been in the low 30s Celsius, recently, with the humidity making it something like equivalent to 40 or a little more.

The ratio is that water boils at 212 F. and 100 C., and freezes at 32 F. and 0 C., for a difference of 180 F. and 100 C., a ratio of 9 to 5.

As 68 F. is 20 C., adding 10 C. to make 30 C. means adding 19 F. to about 87 F., and another 10C. to 40 adds another 19 F. to come to about 106 F.

And I haul a radio with me in the gardens, at the end of 2 or sometimes 3 trouble cords, like mechanics use under vehicles in a garage, with a light in a cage and a hole for a plug at the business end, that more than fifteen years ago as a security guard I rescued from the garbage and repaired after they'd been run over by an unwary driver at the trucking company.

There's a couple of power sources in the barn near the original garden, and two available for the big garden, one in the shed where I park the car and have a workbench and I used another of the trouble cords to take power for a freezer from it to a little unwired garage beside it.

ole joyful