Happy Wednesday! And a belated blessed solstice!
We’re a hot and sweaty club at the Plotted Out pub,
Handing out fans and ice-cream cones,
You can pick up a pint,
Some gossip, plot or fight
But please, don’t pick up your phone.
We’re suffering a heat dome in Europe, with red and amber alerts in place for the UK. To give you an idea of how rare it is, the UK’s Met Office has only ever issued one other extreme heat warning (in 2022), and this is only the second time the UK has seen 38 - 40°C. Temperatures are higher still in France and Spain, with schools closing across the continent.
Plotted Out Schedule…
🎧 Next Mundane Magecraft Episode 19: Friday 26th
Catch up with the last episode here.
💤New Short Story: Giant’s Rest: Sunday 28th
Beca wants a day off. What’s a landwight to do when she’s overrun with hikers, scouts and tourists?
Did you miss this?
📖 Sticky Witch XXIX
I finally get Rosen on a date! OK, it’s a ghost-hunting date in a deconsecrated churchyard, surrounded by dud explosives, but it’s a start.
Sun-life
Normally, I devote this newsletter to magic, myth, and macabre moments (my home life). However, it is the solstice, making it an ideal time to reflect on exactly what the sun does to us, and for us. For a massive spaceball that is 93 million miles away, even its burps cause us problems. But, without the sun, we would not have warmth, light, weather or most of the life on earth.
Which leads me to…
It’s really easy to cook humans
Your please-don’t list.
Air temp from 22°C. Sit in an unventilated car, in the sun without air conditioning. The temperature will rise by 15°C in 30 minutes and up to 20°C within the hour. Children and pets overheat three times faster than adults, so they can suffer from organ failure in as little as 10 minutes, even with the windows cranked open.
Air temp from 24°C. Dry sand can reach 39°C in the sun, causing pain. Use the seven-second test, placing the back of your hand directly on the surface for that length of time. If it’s too hot to tolerate, it’s too hot for bare feet (or paws).
Air temp from 30°C. Concrete pavements and asphalt can reach 57°C. That’s second-degree burns in under a minute.
Air temp from 40°C. If this is combined with high humidity, you’re in trouble, even in the shade. This temperature prevents your sweat from evaporating, which keeps you cool. Find somewhere breezy to sit and keep drinking water.
***
If you are interested in learning about the science behind sweating (and how to prevent heatstroke), head over to Mike Sowden’s post. He’s laid it all out in reader-friendly terms.
What lurks in the dark
Life may not have started on the surface: today, scientists think it started in the oceans’ hydrothermal vents, like a high-pressure cooker powered by dark heat.
The Abyss is the biggest habitat on earth, with more animals than anywhere else. You’ll find fish with feet, transparent shrimp, goblin sharks and giant tube worms that have switched stomachs for chemosynthetic bacteria that feed them directly.
Down in the depths, light is deadly, and immortality is possible. This is not a fantasy realm.
Notes Coolness
Chill your pulse points and have a great Wednesday
Nat x