Too hot!

 You've probably noticed (at least if you're a UK reader you will have done) that it's been hot. Not cute nip-out-and-get-a-tan warm but alarmingly hot.

At Coningsby in Lincolnshire a record high temperature was recorded of 40.3. From seemingly all parts of the country there were reports of wild fires. Not just the expected moorland fires but in London, Sherwood Forest, and the North Norfolk coast, with fields, woodland and houses going up in smoke. Rail tracks melted. In Buxton, Derbyshire, where they're more used to coping with snow, the road surface started to melt. But the Mail ran with a headline that read 'Sunny day snowflake Britain had a meltdown' as if we were all just making a fuss over nothing, and that global warming isn't anything to worry about.

I'm not used to this sort of weather. I've never really embraced foreign travel, and Mediterranean temperatures. Most years I'd spend my summer holidays in Scotland where it can be relied on to be cool. With some sunshine 16 degrees is perfectly warm enough to swim in the sea. So anything above the mid-20s mark is too hot for me.

Over on Twitter I stumbled on a thread of people responding to the question 'where is the hottest place you've been?' Dubai. Laos. Turkey. Another mention for Dubai. Death Valley. Singapore. Perth WA. Dubai, again. Well, for me the answer was simple - my own back garden, yesterday. My tiny indoor/outdoor thermometer showed over 40 degrees outside. It's not an expensive piece of kit, and was probably getting over-excited but it was certainly warmer than I've ever known it.

Today it's cooler. Back to 25 degrees or so. Just a little above my comfort zone but with a pleasant breeze to add a little wind chill. Lets hope it stays that way for a while.