Extreme Temperatures Require Extreme Coping Measures

The Northern hemisphere has been hit by some severe snowstorms in recent weeks, which has left many houses, public buildings, and roads under an impassable blanket of snow.  While some of us might be happy to take a 'snow day' there is no rest for the army.  

The Austrian armed forces have demonstrated their novel method for removing piled snow from roofs in a video shared by The Independent. The soldiers are seen gathered in a large group on a rooftop all armed with snow shovels flicking powder onto a giant tarpaulin where it slides off the roof onto the ground. 

The method is certainly effective might also look wildly dangerous. Perhaps not as dangerous as using a flamethrower to melt snow, which is what one Virginian man did last winter.   

Nathanael Caplinger ditched the traditional shovel and was spotted clearing his driveway with a flamethrower instead.

Fired up about snow removal. pic.twitter.com/fOrhVohCvE

— Will Stafford (@wx_will) January 18, 2018

Caplinger told local news at the time that he hates shoveling snow so invested in the flamethrower to make the task as efficient as possible. He says he researched state and local laws and consulted with local officials before getting started. It doesn't seem like his life hack caught on though. 

Australia suffers under record temperatures

While the northern hemisphere is covered in snow, inverse records are being set down under. Australia is experiencing its hottest summer on record. 

The city of Adelaide recorded the highest ever temperature for a major Australian city on Thursday, reaching an intolerable 46.6 degrees Celsius (115.9 degrees Fahrenheit). All across the countries, temperature records are being broken. 

Free beer but no fun for the animals

The prolonged heat has provided perfect conditions for extreme bushfires with many parts of the country battling wildfires that threaten national parks and private property.

Locals are dealing with the heat in any way they can. One pub in Adelaide’s Northern suburbs offered to shout the neighborhood a beer if the temperature went over 45 degrees, as the mercury rose, people lined up around the Red Lion pub in the suburb of Elizabeth to get their free pint. 

The pub introduced its “beer-o-meter” last March; the popular tavern drops the price of its beer to just $3 AUD when the temperature reaches above 40C, above 42C and the beer is $1. Over 45C and it’s free. 

Unfortunately, the extreme heat doesn’t result in a party for everyone. Australia's animal population is in catastrophic danger due to the extreme heat.

Summer started early in Australia with a heat wave in November that shocked locals. Prior to the November extreme heat event, Australia had an estimated 75,000 spectacled flying foxes, mainly living in northeast Queensland.

Researchers from Western Sydney University have just released the results of a study that shows an estimated 23,000 spectacled flying foxes died from heat-related causes on 26 and 27 November 2018.

More animals are expected to suffer mass deaths as the extreme temperatures continue.