I'll do it

For some reason the weather is a competition. It doesn't matter if it's hot temperatures, long winters, or precipitation, everyone has to be the most uncomfortable. The conversation usually goes something like this (referring to heat, in this instance).

Upper Midwest: I'm so hot, it's 90 degrees.

Deep South: You think that's hot? It's going to be 100 here today!!

Southwest Desert: I wish it was 100!! Today it's going to be 110!!!

Deep South and Upper Midwest (in unison): Yeah, but that's a dry heat so it doesn't count! 

The debate was settled this week when the Finland's World Sauna Championships ended tragically. Here's what happened. The competition is simple: a bunch of idiots sit in a sauna; whoever stays the longest wins. Oh, by the way: the ambient temperature in the sauna? It's kept at more than 240 degrees Fahrenheit (110 C). If you remember your elementary school science, you'll recall that (a) our bodies are 55 - 78% water, and (b) the boiling point for water is 212 F (100 C). In other words, the contestants sit in a room that could BOIL THEM ALIVE!!!

Apparently, the heat itself isn't all that bad. At least, it isn't all that bad until they pour buckets of water over superheated rocks, which sends the room's humidity skyrocketing. It's not unusual for contestants' skin to boil and for them to have huge patches of it eventually fall right off. Most only stay in the sauna for a few minutes. The 'best' participants train year round to acclimate themselves, and some are able to withstand the temperatures for quite some time. This year, a participant died when something went wrong. Some suspect foul play (such as too much humidity), and there is an ongoing criminal investigation. But the larger point (aside from the incredibly stupidity involved here), is that's it wasn't the temperature that killed him, it was the humidity.

That being said, the high here today is 106 and the heat index is 116. It's 9:30 AM right now, and the heat index is 95. I'm going to go outside and punch the sun in the face.