New Craze in Andalucia ...Page 3 ´ REVISED ´
REVISED 11 / XI / 2008
Come on, Now! - those of you could not believe the limerick at the end of Page 2; Please just take a brief look at this:
"SunSmart" of Cancer Research UK (org), with whom I correspond quite frequently, tells us that the "time of culmination of the Sun" or "High Noon", is the time when the Sun is almost overhead in Summer in Spain (or anywhere else near the same). In the UK, the Sun is high at about 1:00 pm - in Summer.
So in the UK everyone gets drummed into their heads to be careful from 11 am to 3 pm. (I am sure that you recognise that, because it even appears in copies of UK papers in Spain, and, Heaven knows, where-else? 
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Do you think that makes sense when "culmination time" in Summer in Spain and Western France is at 2:00 to 2:40 pm - including both Galicia and Brittany - because of the way the clocks have been set in those countries for yonks!
Below is a timetable showing the reason why culmination times are so late in Spain and the Canaries - it is because in Summer the clocks in Spain are fixed legally by the Spanish Government to indicate the true ancient sunclock time activated by the Sun at 30º East of Greenwich. That is, at no less than at Istanbul, Turkey. The strangeness of the times for culmination should be clear for one afternoon in Summer throughout the Mediterranean to the Canaries:
The particular times shown in the "express" route are just descriptive of the property that the Earth turns beneath the Sun - which appears to travel accross the sky from East to West!
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Below, is a description of an imaginary SUN travelling the Mediterranean from Turkey (starting out at a true time imagined to be truly 12:00 o´clock in the afternoon) to The Canary Islands - South-West of the Mediterranean area in the Atlantic Ocean.
The "express" speeds at a phenomenal Mach 1.8 westwards from Istanbul, Turkey, to Santiago de Compostela and The Canary Islands.
It has a special consignment for delivery of the “High Noon Time” at each “station” - and for every simultaneously, instantaneous arrival at change, "branchline" destinations !
As a special service for sun-bathers, the validity of the SunSmart Guidance Factor ( Care from 11am to 3pm ) is posted for all destinations!
The “marginal” indicator is shown for the Guidance Factor increased by one hour (11am to 4pm) to allow for areas to be permitted to the west.
The Spanish legal time for Summer HOP, “hora oficial peninsular”, CEST or GMT+2, is quoted for the principal departure times until it is no longer valid.
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NOTES relevant to the table below:
* The official “TIME ZONE” nomenclature of EEST, or GMT+3, can be put equivalent to CEST or GMT+2 instead of the actual EEST. So the starting time is taken to be 12:00 HOP midday - which is to be expected to be true in Istanbul in summertime.
** One hour down on the appropriate times is for North Europe on WEST or BST (GMT+1)
*** Two hours down on the time is usual for much of western N. Africa on GMT(UTC) – with NO special time on the clocks in Summer.
´´ ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ ´ COCINERO´S ´ S O L A R ´ T I M E T A B L E ´ FOR ´ J U N E
NOTES: longit. merid? STATION dep./arr. ´CR-UK ´Change for:+guide ´Arrives
Dep.12:00.30º E...YES... I S T A N B U L...13:00 EEST...YES........(dep) Marmaris (YES)...13:00 EEST
.................24º E................ A T H E N S.... 12:24 HOP..marg.........Crete - Warsaw (marg.).13:24 EEST
................18º E............... DUBROVNIK(A) 13:48 EEST...............Stockholm - Brindisi(YES).12:48 CEST
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............................Confirm change of watch time to HOP (CEST/GMT+2)
Dep12:48..18º E.............DUBROVNIK........12:48 HOP...YES.......Split - Vienna (YES).......12:48 CEST
...............15º E.....YES....SALERNO (It.)...13:00 HOP...YES......Malta – Prague (YES)......13:00 CEST
...............13º E..............P A L E R M O......13:08 HOP...YES.......Berlin - Rome (YES).......13:08 CEST
............... 9º E..............S A R D I N I A....13:24 HOP..marg....Genoa – Denmark marg... 13:24 CEST
...............1º 30´E......... M A J O R C A......13:54 HOP..NO..........Barca – Paris ( NO )......13:54 CEST
... ............. 0º......YES.. CASTELLON........14:00 HOP..NO.....LondonYES**Oran YES..13:00BST/13:00CET
...............1º 00´W....... .CARTAGENA.......14:04 HOP..NO.......French Biscay ( NO )........14:04 CEST
...............3º 30´W........G R A N A D A......14:14 HOP..NO....Edinb.marg**Madrid (NO)..13:14 WEST/BST
...............5º 24´W...... .GIBRALTAR.........14:22 HOP..NO......Fez(Morocco) (marg)***..12:22 WET/GMT
Train divides.6º 15´W.....C A D I Z............14:25 HOP..NO.......Rosslare - Rabat(marg)**..13:25 WEST/BST
.........................................(Pilgrim Express)
Terminus 1..8º 30´W...SantIago de C.......14:34 HOP..NO.......Lisbon – Cork (marg.)**...13:34 WEST/BST
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Express pt2 .7º 30´W....PORTUGAL FR.....14:30 HOP..NO.......Tipperary ( marg )**........13:30 WEST/BST
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.........................................(Tropical Express)
.............7º 30´W.........PORTUGAL FR......13:30 BST..marg..........Orense ( NO )...............14:30 HOP
............8º 00´W............ F A R O..............13:32 BST.marg..........Belfast ( marg )**...........13:32 WEST/BST
Terminus 215º W.YES ..Canarias............14:02 BST..NO............. No Service
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Continuing the narrative - You are here:
SunSmart ..........http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/
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Welcome to SunSmart - the UK's national skin cancer prevention campaign
´ ´ ´ ´Spend time in the shade between 11 and 3 - in spite of my complaints over the years - Department of Health says only in UK!! ´D of H´ is apparently issuing new advice within a year.
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Make sure you... n e v e r... b u r n
Aim to cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses
Remember to take extra care with children
Then use factor 15+ sunscreen
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Staying away from the UK? Read our tips for a Sunsmart stay
Whilst you’re there:
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Work out the time on the local clocks of the local solar noon. (Called the Time of Culmination). This is the middle point of the day between sunrise and sunset. The sun's rays will be strongest around this time so you will need to take extra care in the sun. (Comment: a stick upright in the sand and a few pebbles marking the end of the shadow every half hour can tell you when the shadow is shortest in the day!).
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Know the shadow rule. If your shadow is longer than you are then you are safe from the sun. When your shadow is shorter than you are tall, the sun can burn you. (Comment: this shows up for most of the day in the latitudes relevant to this thread – except it will verify the period of of time to be careful early and late in the day).
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Act like those local people who don´t work in offices! Eat meals out of the sun and have a siesta or seek shade at the required time in the afternoon! (2:00 to 2:30 pm is the peak time in Spain).
“Turismo” (2008) give a limited piece of information – which usually amounts to the truth located only at the official Time Meridian N/S Line in Spain – namely the one at Castellon on the East Coast – near Valencia. “Take your time in the shade” between 12 to 4 pm in that location. Essential to increase to between 12 to 5 pm when anywhere else that´s even slightly to the West of the line of the East Coast! i.e., if near Malaga, it´s still to be 12 to 5!
This guidance is essentially for most of Spain, the Canaries and Western France. Portugal can use 11 am to 4 pm. But, the “Balearics” - Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza can use 12 to 4 pm because thay are to the East of Spain.
ALSO: of course, ALL of this applies to Double Summertime on the clocks (not occurring in Portugal) – each time value reduces by one hour in the Winter - since there is still a “summertime” imposed - comprising one hour and more over the true Sun time! So don´t forget to adjust your appreciation of the Summer Culmination Time!
Easy confirmation of a general kind is readily available on the www.elmundo.es website of the “El Mundo” newspaper. Just select on the top row: “más secciones” and put your mouse on “el tiempo” in the rather ephemeral drop-down selection box. You will see a surprisingly small box – and you look for “almanaque” at the foot of it. Putting your mouse on that will yield something like the following:
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...........................................SUNRISE........SUNSET A CORUÑA....(Gal).........06:55......22:09 “HOP” summer ........................CEST BARCELONA..................06:19......21:20 “HOP” summer.........................CEST LAS PALMAS (Can).........07:05......20:55 “HOIC”/HIC summer ..GMT+1...WEST MADRID........................06:46.......21:40 “HOP” summer...........GMT+1...CEST SEVILLA......(And)..........07:04.......21:41 “HOP” summer .......................CEST |
Pick an easy pair (won´t make a lot of difference for Spain) such as Barcelona here, obviously CEST midday is at 13:50 – because 15 hours with Sun and 9 hours without means you add 7½ hours to around 6:20 am - or whatever. (Canaries: also 13:50, but 13:58 at the further points 15º West in the Canaries!). Obviously, that addition for half of the day will vary with the date.
I don´t know if the Canaries Government admits to “WEST” equivalent name!
Now for the harsh facts - What is it that is happening to the foreign residents of all origins in the Malaga area who apparently don´t know that the Sun is the most powerful on a normal day in Summer at around 2:30 pm on the Spanish clockwork? Unfortunately, that is precisely what the following newspaper report tells us!
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S U R in E n g l i s h .................THE NEWSPAPER FOR SOUTHERN SPAIN MARCH 23rd to MARCH 29th 2007 |
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By Ignacio Lillio / Rosario Flores Twenty five per cent of patients registered at Hospital Clínico for this type of tumour are foreign Their fair skin and lifestyle make them more at risk. Fair skin, blue eyes, blond hair.... this could describe many of the northern Europeans who have decided to make their home in the province of Malaga, many of them in search of the sunshine they lack in their countries of origin. However these ideal weather conditions people come searching for can take their toll, as many northern European skin types are not made to cope with Malaga’s long hot summers. The first symptom of days packed with long walks, gardening and rounds on the golf course is sunburn, although in the worst cases this can develop into the dreaded melanoma. An Increase Malaga is now one of the regions of Europe with the most cases of skin cancer, according to several experts, and one of the reasons for this recent increase in cases is the growing presence of residents from Scandinavia, Central Europe, Great Britain and Germany. Norberto López, a doctor in the Dermatology Department at Malaga’s Hospital Clínico, has studied the incidence of basal cell carcinoma at the hospital between May 2005 and the same month in 2006. This is the type of malignant skin tumour that is most common in Malaga, accounting for 70 per cent of all cases. A total of 174 patients were studied and more than 25 per cent of them were residents from northern Europe. “The incidence is gradually increasing, both because of the aging population and the intensive exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The province of Malaga boasts the perfect climate for the development of carcinoma”, he explains. The dermatologist goes on to point out that this type of tumour grows slowly and is practically never fatal, which explains why little attention is paid to it. “However it is highly destructive locally and makes patients more susceptible to developing other malignant skin problems”. According to the study the tumours affect more men than women (although in women they appear earlier in life); most patients are aged about 65, have skin types that tan with difficulty and have lived in this area for several years. They undergo intense exposure to the sun, for leisure or professional reasons. The Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella is the centre in the province that treats the most foreign patients. Magdalena de Troya, Head of the Dermatology Service there, confirms that every year they treat a large number of foreign residents from northern Europe. Here the most common complaint is again the basal cell carcinoma. “We are talking about people with fair skin who are exposed to the sun for long periods both through playing sports and sunbathing”, she explains. She has even seen cases of multiple cancer, up to as many as eight tumours at one time, especially on the face and the abdomen. Melanoma Doctor López adds that almost 80 per cent of patients with melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) referred to the Clínico from the Costa del Sol Hospital are foreign. Last year this same Dermatology Department treated 60 patients for melanoma skin cancer, and 20 per cent of these were originally from other European countries. “People who come to live on the Costa from northern Europe, often British or Scandinavian, have skin types that are not prepared for ultraviolet radiation”. These are the words of Enrique Herrera, a Professor in Dermatology at Malaga University’s Faculty of Medicine, and head of the Department at the Hospital Clínico. “It is very common to see solar damage in these people who seem desperate to soak up the sun, and whose lifestyle leads to greater exposure: they spend a lot of time gardening, going for long walks and playing golf”, he explains. Nevertheless the Professor does point out that northern Europeans seem to be better informed about matters such as sun protection factors and health in general. Skin cancer cases in Malaga increase between five and ten per cent every year***, going from 1,300 in 2005 to almost 1,500 in 2006. Of the patients requiring surgery, seven per cent are foreign residents. Colour and gender It’s no coincidence that the black race developed on the world’s warmest continent and the white race in cooler climes. The colour of the skin denotes a person’s probability of suffering skin cancer, explains the Dermatology Professor, Enrique Herrera. There are five skin types according to defence against the sun’s rays: Type I is the most vulnerable; very white, always burns and never tans. Type II also burns although in the end tans a little. Type III (the most typical in Spain) burns at first but then tans. Type IV (the gypsy race for example) has greater protection and Type V corresponds to the black race. Cultural elements such as make-up and a greater sense of looking after one’s body among women also contributes to the fact that more men are affected by skin cancer. “Make-up is a physical filter. Lip cancer is very unusual among women because of lipstick, while it is much more frequent in men”. COMMENT: In the following July 2007, JULY 27th to AUGUST 2nd, Professor Herrera moved the goalposts. He then compared unlike conditions to the two Malaga hospitals above – by then stating the statistics for one hospital in Malaga plus one in Madrid and plus two in the North of Spain! Conditions in areas further north than Malaga do not have much relation to the fairly extreme conditions for persons exposed to the Sun in the Costa del Sol. His conclusion that there was then no increasing problem in Malaga was not a fair one – the problem in Malaga is still increasing! EXTRACT: The results come from a study carried out by four hospitals: Hospital del Mar in Barcelona, Juan Canelejo in La Coruña, Princesa de Madrid and the Hospital Clínico in Malaga. According to Enrique Herrera, the results reveal that cases of skin cancer (including Basal Cell Carcinoma and melanoma, which is the most aggressive type) increased until 2003 and thereafter stabilised.*** (The above comment submitted to SUR in ENGLISH that weekend – but not printed! Note: in 2008 there were no actual quantitative statistics reported for Malaga!). |
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[ 12:15 ] [ Tuesday 11 November 2008 ]