It's HOT!!

Tuesday 1 July 2008
1930

Well, yesterday was a record, at least for me. It’s been consistently hot here (115 -117 degrees F) since I came back from R&R, with only rare brief periods of respite (anything below 110 F feels relatively mild). But yesterday’s weather map in the Stars & Stripes showed the hottest local temperature I can remember seeing since I’ve been here (123 degrees F). And it sure felt it!


080630 Weather Map
Originally uploaded by hkp7fan.

I went out around 3 PM and measured the temperature at ground level on the concrete outside our office door – it was 135 degrees F by my boots. The wind feels like a blast furnace, and when there isn’t any wind, you just bake. The minute you come inside where it’s cool, you are drenched in sweat – you actually stay pretty dry while you’re outside because it evaporates so fast. I can’t seem to drink enough water, and feel constantly dehydrated. And I don’t even have to stay outside for any appreciable lengths of time. I can’t imagine how the poor guys must feel who have to go on patrols in full combat gear in weather like this. It’s unbelievable.

Even with our full program of preventive maintenance, the air conditioners are straining to keep up. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I hadn’t gotten them into such a good state of repair over the past year and a half.

I may be mistaken, but I don’t remember it being quite this hot last year. With another month to go before I leave, I wonder how hot it will get?

Mood: Productive
Music: Theme from "Last of the Mohicans"