All posts tagged: heat

UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England, as forecast reveals where it will hit 33C | UK News

UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England, as forecast reveals where it will hit 33C | UK News

Published by Sam

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued for most of England – with temperatures forecast to hit highs of 33C (91F) this weekend. Only the North East and North West are exempt from the UK Health Security Agency’s latest warnings for England, which comes into force at 12pm on Wednesday and expires at 6pm on Sunday. The alert indicates that people with pre-existing health conditions, and those aged over 65, could be at higher risk. Check the weather forecast where you are Image: People shelter from the sun using an umbrella. Pic :PA Image: People sunbathe on deckchairs. Pic: PA Forecasters say the East of England is likely to see the highest temperatures, which wouldn’t be far off the June record of 35.6C (90F) set in 1976. There is currently a 15% chance of a new record being set. It could reach the low 30s across the rest of England and Wales, and the mid-to-high 20s in Scotland and Northern Ireland. According to the Met Office, it will get progressively warmer as the week progresses …

Earth’s mantle may have hidden plumes venting heat from its core

Earth’s mantle may have hidden plumes venting heat from its core

Published by skeptic

Al Hajar Mountains in Oman L_B_Photography/Shutters​tock A section of Earth’s mantle beneath Oman appears to be unusually warm, in what researchers say may be the first known “ghost plume” – a column of hot rock emanating from the lower mantle without apparent volcanic activity on the surface. Mantle plumes are mysterious upwellings of molten rock believed to transmit heat from the core-mantle boundary to the Earth’s surface, far from the edges of tectonic plates. There are a dozen or so examples thought to occur underneath the middle of continental plates – for instance, beneath Yellowstone and the East African rift. “But these are all cases where you do have surface volcanism,” says Simone Pilia at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. Oman has no such volcanic clues. Pilia first came to suspect there was a plume beneath Oman “serendipitously” after he began analysing new seismic data from the region. He observed the velocity of waves generated by distant earthquakes slowed down in a cylindrical area beneath eastern Oman, indicating the …

No kids, excess heat and payment plans. What to know about Hajj 2025

No kids, excess heat and payment plans. What to know about Hajj 2025

Published by skeptic

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Muslims from around the world are in the Saudi city of Mecca for the Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. In the coming days, people will immerse themselves in religious rituals and acts of worship that originated more than 1,400 years ago. They also have to contend with excess heat and other earthly factors, like a ban on children under the age of 12 and a crackdown on unauthorized entry. Here’s what to know about this year’s Hajj: Beating the heat in the Saudi desert Last year’s pilgrims struggled through burning sun and suffocating hot weather, with the mercury hitting 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit). More than 1,300 people died. This year, Saudi authorities are advising caution in direct sunlight, telling pilgrims to avoid going out during the day and uncovering their heads, except for rituals, unless necessary. An official safety kit emphasizes the importance of light-colored clothing and umbrellas. It also has details on recognizing and treating the symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion. But it’s tough …

Urban Heat Crisis: How Strategic Tree Planting Makes a Difference

Urban Heat Crisis: How Strategic Tree Planting Makes a Difference

Published by skeptic

Urban trees often stand at the center of plans to fight rising city temperatures. Their cooling power seems simple and effective. But new research shows that the truth is more complex. Trees do cool cities, but how well they work depends on the tree type, the shape of the city, and the local climate. Scientists from the University of Cambridge studied 182 research projects covering 110 cities across 17 climate zones. Their work brings fresh insights into how trees affect city temperatures during both day and night. How Trees Cool Cities—and How They Can Heat Them Trees lower temperatures mainly by three actions. First, their leaves block direct sunlight. Second, they release water into the air through tiny pores, a process called transpiration. Third, their leaves change airflow around streets and buildings, helping cool breezes move more freely. Urban trees moderate urban warming caused by urban heat island (UHI) effects. Interconnecting factors determine the cooling benefits of urban trees. Maximized cooling from urban trees is achieved by selecting the optimal trees and their placement, with …

Celeb Hairstylist Mel Dominguez Shares How to Nail Festival Looks That Will Withstand the Heat

Celeb Hairstylist Mel Dominguez Shares How to Nail Festival Looks That Will Withstand the Heat

Published by skeptic

Good music and good hair! Mel Dominguez has created iconic hairdos for hitmakers like Madison Beer, Kim Petras, Bebe Rexha, and Dasha for performances, award shows, red carpet events, photo shoots, and more, and now, the celebrity hairstylist is sharing her tips for achieving flowy, durable mane looks ahead of the 2025 festival season. “No matter the occasion, long-lasting hair starts with the right prep. … A simple, but effective routine can keep hair looking fresh, full, and flawless for hours on end,” she explains.  Theo Wargo/Getty Images Her advice: “Double cleanse the night before with the OGX Bond Protein Repair Shampoo to strengthen and protect strands, or if you’re looking to refresh your scalp and remove product buildup, the OGX Rosemary Mint Shampoo is a great clarifying option.” From there, Dominguez suggests skipping heavy conditioners in order to maintain voluminous locks when heading to the desert. “Opt for the OGX Bond Protein Repair Lightweight Conditioner to strengthen and repair hair with the right amount of moisture, or the OGX Coconut Oil Weightless Mist to …

GHD’s Chronos Max Review: High Tech, Not High Heat

GHD’s Chronos Max Review: High Tech, Not High Heat

Published by skeptic

A too-high heat, like 450 degrees, can damage the hair strand’s internal structure; the lowest setting damages the hair’s cuticle layer without creating a long-lasting style. GHD has found the perfect compromise. “Think of 365 as the sweet spot, the perfect in-between for the longest-lasting results with no extreme heat damage,” Kirkland says. GHD further stands behind its researched 365-degree set point with what it calls HD Motion-Responsive technology, a new mechanism contained in both the original Chronos and the Chronos Max. Motion-Responsive technology compensates for the temperature drop that occurs when heat transfers from the straightener to the hair itself, which is a phenomenon that GHD calls thermal lag. Kirkland illustrates this by miming using a flat iron on a section of her hair. “As [the straightener] glides down the strand, it may be 430, then 420 … it’s not consistent,” she says. “Our technology has the ability to immediately recuperate from the temp drop with sensors that measure the entire plate surface 250 times a second, to ensure that every single part of …

Extreme heat may speed up biological ageing in older people

Extreme heat may speed up biological ageing in older people

Published by skeptic

A woman drinks water during a heatwave in Hyeres, France Magali Cohen/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images Extreme heat seems to speed up biological ageing in older people, suggesting that it could raise the risk of age-related diseases. “This is one of the first large-scale studies to link long-term heat exposure to biological ageing in humans,” says Eun Young Choi at the University of Southern California. “Older adults living in areas with more extreme heat days aged biologically faster than those in cooler regions.” Choi and her colleagues analysed genetic data extracted from blood samples collected by other researchers in 2006-7 from 3600 people across the US. All were aged 56 and over at the time. They estimated each participant’s biological age using three so-called epigenetic clocks, which involves looking at patterns of chemical tags called methyl groups on DNA. These patterns alter as we get older and such changes have been linked to age-related diseases. The researchers also examined daily air temperature readings taken within a few kilometres of where participants lived for the six …

2024 set new record for hottest year, passing a dangerous heat threshold

2024 set new record for hottest year, passing a dangerous heat threshold

Published by skeptic

attribution: A field of research, largely used in climate studies. It seeks to test whether — and by how much — climate change may be responsible for certain extreme weather events, such as droughts, extreme flooding, hurricanes, excessive heat or odd storm trajectories. average: (in science) A term for the arithmetic mean, which is the sum of a group of numbers that is then divided by the size of the group. climate: The weather conditions that typically exist in one area, in general, or over a long period. climate change: Long-term, significant change in the climate of Earth. It can happen naturally or in response to human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels and clearing of forests. degree: (in geometry) A unit of measurement for angles. Each degree equals one three-hundred-and-sixtieth of the circumference of a circle. European Union: The confederation of 27 European countries that have agreed to work peacefully together. Residents of EU can move freely between its member countries and sell goods to them. Most members have also adopted the same …

Sofas that self-assemble when you heat them up? How 4D printing could transform manufacturing

Sofas that self-assemble when you heat them up? How 4D printing could transform manufacturing

Published by skeptic

Imagine buying a flat sheet from a furniture store that changes into a sofa when you heat it with a hairdryer. Or consider the value of a stent that precisely expands inside a patient’s artery, adapting to their unique anatomy. Welcome to 4D printing, a frontier in material and manufacturing science that has been rapidly expanding over the past decade. While 3D printing has captured global attention for its ability to create objects layer by layer, 4D printing adds the element of time. It involves 3D-printing adaptable objects from materials such as polymers or alloys that can bend, twist or transform entirely when they come into contact with heat or moisture. By moving beyond the constrictions of static designs, it opens up remarkable possibilities in areas such as medicine, aerospace, robotics and construction. I was recently the lead author on a comprehensive report published in the journal of Smart Materials and Structures, charting the advances and challenges in this field. We outlined this industry’s potential, offering a vision of a future where smart materials redefine …

Surge in ocean heat is a sign climate change is accelerating

Surge in ocean heat is a sign climate change is accelerating

Published by skeptic

High sea temperatures contributed to stormy weather in California in late 2023 Kevin Carter/Getty Images The surge in ocean temperatures to record-breaking levels in 2023 and 2024 is a sign that the pace of climate change has accelerated, say researchers. Global ocean temperatures hit record highs for 450 days straight in 2023 and early 2024. Although some of the extra heat can be explained by an El Niño weather pattern emerging in the Pacific Ocean, about 44 per cent of the record warmth is down to the world’s oceans absorbing heat from the sun at an accelerating rate, according to Chris Merchant at the University of Reading, UK. Merchant and his colleagues used satellite data to analyse ocean warming over the past four decades, concluding that the rate of warming has more than quadrupled since 1985. The team says this rapid acceleration is down to a sharp change in Earth’s energy imbalance (EEI), a measure of how much heat is being trapped in the atmosphere. EEI has roughly doubled since 2010, causing the oceans to …