Talk about HOT!  I just got back from a trip to west Arizona.  I was in
Bullhead City, Havasu Lake City, and Yucca.  While we were there there were
heat records set for even that inferno.  The temperatures were as high as 125
in Bullhead City.  At Yucca it was 119 and ground temperatures were 158 F.
At midnight it was at 100F and the low was 85 and 90 on 2 different nights.

When the wind was blowing at about 8-10 miles per hour it was sort of like
blowing a hair dryer directly in your face.
(I did not know whether to put this in Nature or Travel, but Travel seemed
the best).

I wouldn't recommend travel there in summer unless you had a new car and did
not pull any sort of trailer.  

7 responses total.

  You don't know hot until you've been to Riyadh ;)

   Actually, I don't mean to make light of serious hot. I also understand that
they have little or no humidity, and that is what makes it bearable.

By contrast, the same temperatures in a damper climate such as Bombay or
Calcutta would feel even more uncomfortable!

re #1.  Agreed, I understand that in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, they have record
temps in the 135 F range.  I think that could kill someone pretty quickly.
I would guess that touching a rock or the ground would raise a blister in that
kind of heat.
re #2.  Also agree.  We talked to several Michigan transplants who have lived
in the desert area for quite a few years.  They all talked about how difficult
it is to "breathe" or "get air" in high temperatures and high humidity.   I
am not sure what they mean, but perhaps it is something more noticeable for
smokers, or other people with breathing difficulty.  Any idea on that?

The body must maintain its temperature not much above 98.6 F, so if
the environment gets hotter, the body sweats to create evaporation
cooling. However if the humidity gets high, that becomes too inefficient,
the body temperature is forced up, and heat prostration results (which
can result in death). I think its called "heat hyperpyrexia". When
the body temperature exceeds 106 F things are very dangerous, and at
108 F, irreversible brain damage occurs. 

We saw a video on the dangers of heat and they told us to drink large volumes
regardless of whether or not you are thirsty.  We did that and I am still
amazed at all the water we took in.  It had to be evaporating as fast as we
took it in because we never had to make any urgent trips.

I made the mistake of going to Tuscon, Arizona last summer. First day there
it was above 115.  I threw up (in public, too). Don't plan on making that
mistake again. . .going to Arizona in the summer, I mean.

I have been there several times in the fall and it is great.  But July/August?
I really believe a healthy person could die if they got stranded.  Plus you
are more likely to get stranded in that weather.

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