26/06/2026
We heard plenty of comments in the past few days about how hot it has been. 🌡️
Still June and it is already our 2nd heatwave of the year so far.
Reports from Europe show that many people and animals have unfortunately died.
This prompted me to look at different parts of the Quakers development. All were within 300m. All tC measurements were measured within 25 minutes. Using the same high precision thermometer (0.1C accuracy).
As you would expect, shaded surfaces were cooler than sunny ones.
But different surfaces heat faster or slower, depending on their composition, thickness, colour, surface area, air content, reflection, water content etc..
The ambient air temperature was 35.4C 3.12pm.
Within a minute, the road bitumen was 43.2C.
2m away, the bricked road was 40.9C. Inside my car, the thermometer started to fail and darkened and ceased to read after reaching 54.2C. It needed 2 minutes to cool down back to ambient temperature. I can only guess that the temperature was 60C+ stressing the importance not to keep kids or pets in cars for even 1min!
Short-cut grass (dying rapidly) within 50cm of the bitumen path was 45.8C! No insect there!
Less than 15m away, the meadow began and was partially shaded by oak trees, the temperature: 35.8C!
5m further, still long grass from the meadow in full sun: 36.9C.
50 or so metres away, under the Quakers Walk lime trees: 35.2C!
At the edge between the trees and long grasses of the meadow (still shaded): 35C clear 🏆 winner.
Returning to Quakers Road, I sampled a few more surfaces.
Plum stones: 44.2C
Metal manhole: 47.8C
Plastic fake grass: 43C
My front and back gardens have trees. They provide ample shading and minimise extra heat storage that would accumulate over several days. Vegetation does not only attract wildlife and improves air quality, it mitigates extreme heat/cold extremes.
The forested walk and the meadow take away around 6C of warmth during a heatwave. If cut to the ground, not only would countless inhabitants be absent, but the heat would be magnified for all of us.
I hope the temperature records shared in this post help many people plan and improve their own surroundings. 👍
