So much for the cool season, it lasted about 10 days in total. My outside temperature gauge shows the overnight low last night was 26.9c with 75% humidity, and that was at 6am. By 8pm it was all over, 29.6 @ 63% humidity. The daytime high yesterday was 34.8, and that is in total shade and with a lot of cloud cover too!

We are now on the cusp of the ever-increasing hot season with in-the-sun-heats of +40c and surface temperatures on the roads of even more. We are living in an oven with a very dodgy temperature setting.

This country would be so much better at 5 degrees centigrade below the current temperature, year round. Sadly, it seems to be going in the other way. Much like parts of southern Europe, which now has to deal with such high temperatures as to knock their tourist industry peak months of its perch, last year's hot season was the hottest I have seen (my electricity bills confirm that with a 25% increase). Many of my regular haunts became very unpleasant as their AC units couldn't cope. Outside bars were miserably hot; fans do nothing at 40c. I vowed never to do another Mar-May, and reading the current runes, that is still on the cards.

The world is seeing some alarming climate behaviour with record highs blowing out the previous records by whole degrees, not just fractions of a degree. Normally temperate areas are having periods of heat hitherto unseen - and nobody is prepared for it - and areas used to high temperatures are seeing consistent highs over long periods; Phoenix* recorded 55 days in a row with temperatures reaching 110F / 43.3c I have never been to Phoenix, but I bet 95% of consumer spaces have excellent AC (>25c). Not so PP. In fact, very few places do. Many have units, but few can (or are prepared to) get the place much below 30c.

At what temperature point does this place become uninhabitable to you, without 12-24-hour AC? How many people can sleep with overnight temperatures of ~30c without AC? How many want to pay the EDC bills that come with comfortable indoor temperatures?

Personally, I am getting close to giving this place a miss for at least 4/5 months of the year - March to July inclusive - and that throws up residency issues as I won't want to pay rent for those 4/5 months and so it could mean moving every year. A €750pm apartment in Spain, for Mar/Apr/ May - with an onsite pool, beaches, great shops, food, bars, restaurants, cheap wine and easy transport. It is looking very tempting, and there are plenty of places available in the shoulder season. June and July in London, and then back here for the rains. Idyllic...

For those with families and businesses here, getting out of dodge may not be an option.

*https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/11986697 ... eat-record

Bloody pansy, I moved here for the weather, bring it on! I am definitely one of the air-con off wherever possible brigade.

I will concede however that the country would really benefit from more trees/shade, etc, but I find that more of an air quality thing than a temperature toleration issue.

I agree it is unbearably hot and this morning at 8am I could feel the heat, the last few days have been nice up until 11am. I have a child at school, wife (visa nightmare, and an online job that would not allow me to work in Europe do to the time difference, although I could if I wanted to.

I remember we had a really cold season this time about 7 years ago and it was nice but got boring after a few months. Maybe it is a blip and will return to normal soon.

One of the main reasons I moved back to Cambodia was the weather. After four miserable winters in Sa Pa, Vietnam, I love the heat. Yes, I do need A/C when I sleep as I sweat like a pig, but I have no problem going birding, running, whatever outdoors.

Whenever it gets a bit hot my mind wanders off to my earlier adventures in subarctic europe. What I discovered there was that I hate cold more than anything else.

Iow, bring on the heat!

hanno wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:24 am One of the main reasons I moved back to Cambodia was the weather. After four miserable winters in Sa Pa, Vietnam, I love the heat. Yes, I do need A/C when I sleep as I sweat like a pig, but I have no problem going birding, running, whatever outdoors.

Maybe I should 'winter' in northern Vietnam

I fondly reminisce about UK winters and look at the news where people are trying to hide from the biting wind then I remember how fucking horrible it is. Snow is great, until you have to drive in it and all the other fucktards crash, but when it is miserable, wet and dark at 4pm it gets a little depressing.

So, all in all I much prefer the heat and sweating a bit.

Also, Kampot is a lot cooler than Phnom Penh!

Doc67 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:38 am

hanno wrote: ↑Fri Feb 09, 2024 10:24 am One of the main reasons I moved back to Cambodia was the weather. After four miserable winters in Sa Pa, Vietnam, I love the heat. Yes, I do need A/C when I sleep as I sweat like a pig, but I have no problem going birding, running, whatever outdoors.

Maybe I should 'winter' in northern Vietnam

It is not so much the cold, it is the endless fog and days of not seeing the sky.


A typical day in Sapa.