The Ref Stop

The Heat

P

PinnerPaul

RefChat Addict
Had my first game of the season on Weds evening - OA friendly line, on astro and temperature was just about perfect.

Have another one on Saturday, WAS a 12.30pm KO, but sensibly the home club have changed it to 10.00am, so although may be a bit warm by the end it should be bearable, especially as I didn't think it is supposed to get uncomfortably hot until Sunday onwards.

Apologies to those of you not in the sunny half of the UK, or indeed not in the UK at all, as this will make little sense to you!!!!!
 
The Ref Stop
Saturday isn't so bad, but refereeing on Sunday afternoon in London would certainly be a challenge, Monday and Tuesday are at temperature levels where arguably games should be off given there is a severe weather warning in place.
 
May seem like a funny question but does the FA have a policy for extreme heat?
It's a much more common problem here in Australia, so it's not uncommon to encounter it.

I had a match about a month ago that we had to have drinks breaks as it was too hot, in the middle of winter.
 
higdawgy said:
May seem like a funny question but does the FA have a policy for extreme heat?
It's a much more common problem here in Australia, so it's not uncommon to encounter it.

I had a match about a month ago that we had to have drinks breaks as it was too hot, in the middle of winter.
Click to expand...

i think our friends in England have a different definition of when heat gets extreme!
 
socal lurker said:
i think our friends in England have a different definition of when heat gets extreme!
Click to expand...
The temperature is predicted to reach 39°C - and may possibly exceed 40°C, in the south by Monday. (That's getting up to around 105°F, for those of you still using the imperial system of measurements).

I'd say that's a fairly extreme temperature to be running around in.

In Australia, for instance:

Football Australia's Heat Policy states that a match may be delayed or postponed when the WBGT reaches 28 degrees Celsius.
Click to expand...

Football Australia heat policy
 
Here in Western Australia we have the policy that 34 deg at KO means drink breaks and 36 deg the game is rescheduled. This is for adults: for junior games knock 4 deg off these figures. I should point out that high humidity can be the real killer. I recall from my days in the UK how sweaty and uncomfortable high temperatures could be. Here in WA we are lucky that it is often a "dry heat" that can be far more bearable in general (although not when running around a football pitch of course).
 
RustyRef said:
Saturday isn't so bad, but refereeing on Sunday afternoon in London would certainly be a challenge, Monday and Tuesday are at temperature levels where arguably games should be off given there is a severe weather warning in place.
Click to expand...
Tend to agree, although Mon/Tues evening games should be 'safe' although still warm I would have thought.
 
PinnerPaul said:
Tend to agree, although Mon/Tues evening games should be 'safe' although still warm I would have thought.
Click to expand...

Will still be 33 C at 9 PM in London on Monday.


I'd be especially wary of 3G pitches in this hear, will probably get up 70 C surface temperature with air temps of 35 C.

Concerns over heat stress on 3G surfaces

The first comprehensive study on heat stress and artificial turf in Hong Kong raises some serious concerns. Data compiled by Professor Jim Chi-yung, chair professor of geography at the University of Hong Kong, shows that the surface temperature of artificial turf can be ninety percent hotter...
www.pitchcare.com www.pitchcare.com
 
bester said:
Will still be 33 C at 9 PM in London on Monday.


I'd be especially wary of 3G pitches in this hear, will probably get up 70 C surface temperature with air temps of 35 C.

Concerns over heat stress on 3G surfaces

The first comprehensive study on heat stress and artificial turf in Hong Kong raises some serious concerns. Data compiled by Professor Jim Chi-yung, chair professor of geography at the University of Hong Kong, shows that the surface temperature of artificial turf can be ninety percent hotter...
www.pitchcare.com www.pitchcare.com
Click to expand...
Fair enough, that's pretty warm - no games scheduled next week for me and I won't be volunteering for any until the super warm weather passes. The only obvious footnote is that these ARE only forecast temperatures at the minute!
 
Peter Grove said:
The temperature is predicted to reach 39°C - and may possibly exceed 40°C, in the south by Monday. (That's getting up to around 105°F, for those of you still using the imperial system of measurements).

I'd say that's a fairly extreme temperature to be running around in.

In Australia, for instance:



Football Australia heat policy
Click to expand...
Just a friendly jibe!

i know my definitions of hot and cold changed when I spent 6 months in England on a college program many years ago, coming from California!

and, in fairness, our bodies do adapt, to some degree, to the temperatures we are used to. For me, reffing a game or two in the 90s in August is no big deal, but when we get that in January it’s really tough.
 
To put it in context, 40C would be the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, the previous being 38.7C in Cambridge in July 2019. Even for an evening game, it will still be between 35C and 37C approaching kick off, that is getting to the levels of not safe. Especially for Brits as we just aren't used to it.

Be interesting to see what they do, if anything, with the women's Euros games on Monday evening as the temperature in the stadiums will be horrendous. Perhaps the only saving grace is they are in relatively small stadiums (New York Stadium and AMEX) but will still be swelteringly hot.
 
Utter madness. Refs being sought after for Tuesday evening etc.... with plenty accepting appointments!
Many of us clamouring over the odd puddle to postpone games at the slightest whiff of rain, yet others blind to the dangers of unprecedented heat 🥵
 
Big Cat said:
Utter madness. Refs being sought after for Tuesday evening etc.... with plenty accepting appointments!
Many of us clamouring over the odd puddle to postpone games at the slightest whiff of rain, yet others blind to the dangers of unprecedented heat 🥵
Click to expand...

"Kids training been cancelled, we've got a good deal on the 4G". 😂
 
RustyRef said:
To put it in context, 40C would be the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, the previous being 38.7C in Cambridge in July 2019. Even for an evening game, it will still be between 35C and 37C approaching kick off, that is getting to the levels of not safe. Especially for Brits as we just aren't used to it.

Be interesting to see what they do, if anything, with the women's Euros games on Monday evening as the temperature in the stadiums will be horrendous. Perhaps the only saving grace is they are in relatively small stadiums (New York Stadium and AMEX) but will still be swelteringly hot.
Click to expand...
It won't reach 40c, that's just the media doing what the media do. Top temp in Harrow forecast as 34C currently. Rotherham will be 33c for KO, dropping to 28C during the match on Monday Met Office says. Still too hot for football at that level, especially if any of the pitch still in the sun.
 
Big Cat said:
Utter madness. Refs being sought after for Tuesday evening etc.... with plenty accepting appointments!
Many of us clamouring over the odd puddle to postpone games at the slightest whiff of rain, yet others blind to the dangers of unprecedented heat 🥵
Click to expand...
31c - 24c Tuesday evening in my warm neck of the woods - that's not dangerous surely?
 
PinnerPaul said:
31c - 24c Tuesday evening in my warm neck of the woods - that's not dangerous surely?
Click to expand...
I suppose football will probably be OK by 7pm Tues but I'll still be swerving it
I think you're wrong with your media quote however. I did Meteorology at Uni and I'm entirely satisfied that 'this' is not just media hype
The chances of it hitting 40 degrees are around 60% according to the latest modelling, Relatively speaking, that would amount to SMASHING the record

The science is saying we're in big trouble. Almost factual. Yes the Media love it, but it stems from the science and the maths is incontrovertible
 
Big Cat said:
I suppose football will probably be OK by 7pm Tues but I'll still be swerving it
I think you're wrong with your media quote however. I did Meteorology at Uni and I'm entirely satisfied that 'this' is not just media hype
The chances of it hitting 40 degrees are around 60% according to the latest modelling, Relatively speaking, that would amount to SMASHING the record

The science is saying we're in big trouble. Almost factual. Yes the Media love it, but it stems from the science and the maths is incontrovertible
Click to expand...
If I could to two thumbs to this I would. Actually I can now...

👍🏻 👍🏻
 
PinnerPaul said:
It won't reach 40c, that's just the media doing what the media do. Top temp in Harrow forecast as 34C currently. Rotherham will be 33c for KO, dropping to 28C during the match on Monday Met Office says. Still too hot for football at that level, especially if any of the pitch still in the sun.
Click to expand...
Think it will, or certainly get very close and break the record. This is experts predicting, not just media hype, and they wouldn't have convened COBRA if it was just hype and wasn't going to happen.
 
RustyRef said:
Think it will, or certainly get very close and break the record. This is experts predicting, not just media hype, and they wouldn't have convened COBRA if it was just hype and wasn't going to happen.
Click to expand...
Yes, I recall that for a red warning to be issued, the likelihood of the event (weather) happening must exceed 90%
That doesn't mean a 90% chance of 40+ degrees however, 'the event' is 'risk to life' which is a function of such things as the 'wet bulb temperature' which dictates how effectively the body can lose heat through sweating. Anyway, we're in agreement

There's so much latent heat in the body of air on it's way that sweating won't be effective, regardless of whether the dry bulb hits 40+
Although 'red warnings' for heat were only introduced a few years ago, the severity of the weather being predicted is historic. I'd estimate in my 48 years, equivalent warnings specifically covering the location in which I live, would probably only have been given on a couple of occasions. Even on a National, they're only intended to be reserved for weather that might only happen a couple of times in a decade
In a nutshell, these red warnings are intended to be a 'serious business' and have nowt to do with media hype

Normally, @PinnerPaul and I are two peas in a pod, but not when it comes to the weather.... seemingly 🌤️
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top