The current hot weather in the Northern Hemisphere experts believe another sign of global warming. "It is obvious that the climate is undergoing significant changes, and this is only the beginning of the process", - the director of the French laboratory of meteorology Herve Le Tre. And, according to many scientists, to prevent the changes started already impossible ..
words "hot" and "very hot" completely inappropriate to describe the weather, established in most parts the United States. It seems that someone has included a huge hair dryer and hot air blowing on American cities. The inhabitants of cities seeking as soon as possible to get to work, where there is air conditioning, and how you can spend less time on the streets.
It seems that even smoking these days, people have become less. The fact is that in office buildings in the U.S. "smoke" is forbidden, so the smokers are forced to take to the streets. But if even in the coldest winter days, small groups of amateur drag cigarette stood at the facades of houses, but now you can see only single brave, not afraid of the heat. "Frankly, disgusting to even think about smoking a cigarette in this hell," - told me a familiar clerk, whose office is on the same floor with the representation of ITAR-TASS news agency in New York.
Settled in the United States heatwave has killed at least 12 people. Almost everywhere, the air temperature in the shade exceeds 35-degree mark, sometimes reaching 45-50 degrees Celsius. (Actually, America measures the temperature in Fahrenheit, not Celsius and 100 degrees in the photo above are subject to our 38.) As the weather forecasters promised that the weather will not last less than a week, U.S. energy companies have asked customers to reduce electricity consumption, especially in the daytime, when the power lies with the biggest burden. But all accidents still could not avoid. For example, on 18 July overload on the lines caused a power failure of one of the airports of New York - La Guardia, which is why flights were canceled at Washington, Boston and other cities.
In addition, the largest city in the U.S. during the morning rush hour cut off electricity to one of the branches "Subway." As a result, some stopped between stations compositions of the passengers were forced to spend in the stuffiness and heat for over an hour, as the railway car air-conditioners were not working. Normal movement of trains on the line was restored only in the middle of the day.
Incredible heat has caused congestion in a number of electrical substations metropolis. This led to the fact that within a few days have been deprived of electricity for more than 25 thousand inhabitants, during the morning rush hour on July 19 once again turn off the electricity at one of the branches of Metro. Over 365,000 people were without electricity in Pennsylvania. Another 60,000 were left without electricity in New Jersey. Something similar happened in other states.
According to various energy companies in the country, some areas of the United States were set records for electricity consumption. Thus, by 2 percent compared with a peak last year, which then fell on July 26, took power in upstate New York. Have fallen last year's record on spending power in California, Texas, as well as in several states of the Eastern U.S. coast and midwest states.
In a high state of readiness are hospitals in all areas of the country, where he established hot weather. In many American cities discovered so-called "cooling items, where at any time of day people can take refuge from the heat. By the way, in some states under such items given to local libraries. Moreover, residents welcomed this initiative. "I was not in the library for many years, perhaps even from school, but now I'm forced to come here and discovered that not in vain zahazhivayu, everything is so changed," - shared his impressions of a 36-year employee of the New York-mail. He carried the mail and went to catch his breath. Public libraries are the largest U.S. cities are now equipped with the latest technology, you can not only borrow books, watch movies on VHS and DVD-ROM, and listen to music, but also established here as computers go online. Therefore, sheltering from the heat people, even those who do not like to read books, there's something to do.
Particular attention in these hot days the authorities are paying nursing homes, watching closely so that there is no disruption to work air conditioners. In addition, employees of social services bypass apartments for pensioners living alone, wondering if they do not need help.
In several cities started a special telephone service, where everyone can get advice as to whether what to do to reduce the harmful effects of heat on the body. In particular, physicians recommend that all possible spend less time on the street, as well as to drink more mineral, but no soda. So beloved by Americans sweet "soda" in this weather does not help to quench thirst, experts say.
Heat made adjustments to the plans of travelers. For example, tourists in New York sightseeing prefer moving "short dashes" from shop to shop, where is air-conditioned. Drastically reduced all of those wishing to climb to the observation deck of the tallest building metropolis Empire State Building. Now it must stand for more than 15 minutes. And usually, as stated by the representative of the administration of a skyscraper, this time of year the queue are not less than two and a half hours. Sharply decreased and the number of people wishing to ride on top, open "deck" bunk tour buses, offering excellent city to consider. Now tourists prefer the lower-cooled interior bus.
In stores lined up in long lines wishing to purchase air conditioners and fans for apartments and homes, as well as inflatable pools for backyards. One of the owners of the company to install air conditioners in Oklahoma City has admitted that such a large number of orders it has never happened before. As it turns out, Americans do not like to "prepare the sleigh in summer, and the cart in winter, so the rush to buy shovels only when it starts to snow, and air conditioners and fans - the very hot weather. It happens that all the goods in the shops and not enough. Then you have to make an order and wait, exhausted from the heat.
But suffer from the heat people try not to forget the "smaller brothers". In such weather in the country's zoos monkeys make frozen fruit. Bears are happy to swim in the pool and eating frozen fish. Small elephants zoo staff poured water from the hoses, and adult elephants pour themselves, picking up a trunk water from tanks brought in cages. Special pools installed in cages and enclosures of other animals that they are in these hot days to feel better.
Take care and owners of domestic cats and dogs, which are cut as short as possible. On the streets of New York more often there are dogs on which it is impossible to understand what they breed because of the complete lack of hair. "Jimmy looks, perhaps, not very pretty, but it's not so hot," - said the mistress of English cocker spaniel, the body which, after cutting there was only a little brush on the tail. "In this weather, the main thing - stay healthy and hope that will soon be a welcome coolness" - she added.

Oksana Polishchuk

France under threat of sunstroke

a quarter of France introduced the "orange alert". No, this is not the threat of terrorist attacks, but only a warning of the third degree in connection with reigning in the country of unbearable heat. And just adopted by the French rating scale bearing dangerous weather phenomena involves four degrees of anxiety, the latter of which, incidentally, is painted in a menacing purple.
Air temperature in the shade in Paris reached 34 degrees and Bordeaux - 39 degrees. In offices hang computers and stop the fans, the cars on the molten asphalt are transformed into pressure-cooker, people sweating and sick of the unbearable hell. Because of the high temperature so far has killed nine French - as the elderly and sick people, and got sunstroke workers at construction sites under the open sky.
Increasingly, conversation float memories about murderous summer of 2003, when in France, according to official data, resulting in exacerbation of various diseases because of this heat, died about 15 thousand people. According to the "Meteo France" such heat, as now, in mid-July in France have been reported since 1893. "The current temperature - says staff" Meteo-France, Michel Schneider - much higher than usual for this period. " Across France in the average excess was 3-5 degrees.
This anomaly, according to experts, is a consequence of the emission of greenhouse gases. Scientists maintain that the top of the first century of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doubled, leading to an increase in global temperature by 3 degrees.
Annoying and side effects of heat, for example, air pollution, ozone. Authorities urged drivers of motor vehicles to reduce speed to 20 miles an hour against the normative, but few who listens to these prescriptions. Approaches and drought: the restrictions on water consumption has already introduced in 40 French departments. Due to lack of water has decreased hydropower and nuclear power plants, and the national company Electricite de France has already been forced to buy on the international market of about 2 thousand megawatts of electricity.
Yet Heat the last few days is still far from 2003, when the thermometer in the shade reached 44 degrees. "A repeat of 2003, we will not permit - says Health Minister Xavier Bertrand. - Over the past three years have been taken many preventive measures, the almost universal spread got climate control, people have formed the necessary reflexes that are automatically included with the onset of heat ».
However, authorities did not especially rely on these reflexes, and regularly remind the French media about the rules of conduct in hot weather. So, be sure to close blinds during the day and not go outside between 11 am and 21 pm, try to spend 2-3 hours a day in a cool place and a few times to take showers regularly moisten with water and drink the forearm is not less than one and a half liters of water a day, even if you do not feel thirsty.
But everything is relative, and a professor of Medical University of Marseilles, Jean-Louis San Marco makes a clarification: "To drink should be given only to those who can sweat - for healthy people and children. As for older people who sweat a little, or patients who, sweating, spend a lot of energy, then it is better to rub the skin with a damp sponge ».
Local authorities and entrepreneurs in different regions France show remarkable ingenuity to help fellow citizens successfully get through this difficult period. Thus, in the French capital this year, first appeared powerful Water spray. Installed on the Champ de Mars, under the Eiffel Tower, on the terraces of many cafes around these machines spray microscopic droplets of water and are languishing in the heat Parisians and tourists with a welcome coolness. And in the apartments until about twenty pensioners Nice set of direct observation and alarm connected to a home TV. "Bonjour, Madame Francois! - Is heard from time to time from the speaker a nice voice. - On the street 30 degrees. Do you not drink water? »
System of care for older people through the TV developed by the former director of the nursing homes, Olivier Cl