I'd say there's a big difference between 41 and 45 and you're also greatly exaggerating the temperatures in Chicago if you include 105 as a typical high.

It's hit 105 a couple of times over the course of a hundred years. The hottest temperature since 2013 is 97. The average daily high in the hottest month is less than the bottom range of 85-105- it's 84.1 in July.

Hitting 45C is a big deal

Chicago is typically 5-10F degrees cooler than the surrounding area due to the lake effect. Where I live now (central Illinois, 90mi outside Chicago) we hit 105F at least a few times a summer. Usually, with 100% humidity - making it feel like 120F or so.

In either case, I’m not belittling the current heat wave in France. Just saying those temperatures are within “normal” for the Midwest. Which was the grandfathers comment. I agree with the few degree difference being a lot, especially if sustained.

The number I most like to keep an eye on is "days over 100 degrees". It's both important for agriculture and a good measure of how miserable a place is.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/100%C2...

I lived for 15 years in Illinois and people would be freaking out if it got to 45C. For context 113F (~45C) looks to be the highest temperature ever recorded in Peoria (which is in central Illinois). The average high there in the hottest month (July) is only 86F (30C). Even in Illinois this would break temperature records (not to mention that the temperatures I quoted are also a fair bit south of the latitude they said).

Edit: Honestly the Midwesterners who would take that heat the best would probably be Minnesotans as it would be a great excuse to be on all of those lakes they are always telling me about.

Yes, but you have air conditioning in Chicago, and can pretty much live your life without stepping out into the swamp/blizzard. Because this weather is unusual here, very few people have air con, so there isn’t much escape short of standing under a cold shower.

I don't think he was implying that the situation in France isn't bad. He was just correcting the idea of The Great Lakes having cool summers.

> Yes, but you have air conditioning in Chicago

I'm from the Great Lakes area, and barely anyone there has air conditioning. It's considered a luxury.

Is this true of offices or other businesses in Europe as well?

Most, yes. Plenty of shops are air conditioned, but unless you’re in a big modern office in a big city, air conditioning is unlikely. Ours used to turn into a sweat-box in the summer - couldn’t install air conditioning even had we wanted to.

Up until recent years, the reality has been that it just hasn’t been necessary - you might have had a few days a year when you wished you had it.