Everyone has had to work outside when it has been hot at some point in his or her lives. You try to keep cool. Drink plenty of water. Wear sunscreen. Find a shady spot to rest. There are those, however, that have made it their profession to be outdoors while the rest of the world works within the cool confines of air-conditioned buildings.
This sample research paper isn't just about temporary summer college jobs, this research paper is about the men and women who are construction workers, landscapers, park rangers, and the myriad of other professions whose offices are located outside! It is important to remember, however, that “hot” weather is subjective. What one person may deem sweltering might be delightful to another.
Depending on which part of the world that an individual might live, hot weather work is not restricted to the summer months of June, July, and August that we are accustomed to here in the United States. Different climates also produce different types of hot weather. Factors such as altitude, humidity, and wind current can have a tremendous impact on how hot weather is perceived. The purpose of this discussion is to highlight what some of the best jobs are in hot climates and explore how some people are able to beat the heat.
Global climate zones
The world has many different climates. They vary as much as ethnicities in human beings. The definition of climate is:
Climate is the characteristic condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface at a certain place on earth. It is the long-term weather of that area (at least 30 years). This includes the region's general pattern of weather conditions, seasons and weather extremes like hurricanes, droughts, or rainy periods. Two of the most important factors determining an area's climate are air temperature and precipitation. (Agrometeorology Group)
These climates are broken down into many groups and subgroups. There is, luckily, a classification system that helps to organize those climates and describe them.
The Köppen Climate Classification System
The Köppen Climate Classification System is the most widely used for classifying the world's climates. Most classification systems used today are based on the one introduced in 1900 by the Russian-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen. Köppen divided the Earth's surface into climatic regions that generally coincided with world patterns of vegetation and soils. (Agrometeorology Group)
The five major climate types of the Köppen Climate Classification System:
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- Moist Tropical Climates are known for their high temperatures year round and for their large amount of year round rain.
- Dry Climates are characterized by little rain and a huge daily temperature range. Two subgroups, S - semiarid or steppe, and W - arid or desert, are used with the B climates.
- In Humid Middle Latitude Climates land/water differences play a large part. These climates have warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
- Continental Climates can be found in the interior regions of large land masses. Total precipitation is not very high and seasonal temperatures vary widely.
- Cold Climates describe this climate type perfectly. These climates are part of areas where permanent ice and tundra are always present. These areas are the most affected by climate change. Only about four months of the year have above freezing temperatures. (Agrometeorology Group)
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Climate zones in the United States
In the United States, climate zones are broken down into regions. “The U.S. mainland contains a total of nine distinct regional climates” (Franco). These regions are:
- Northwestern Region
- The High Plains
- Midwest
- Ohio Valley Region
- New England
- Mid Atlantic
- Southeast
- Southern Region
- Southwestern Region (Franco)
In regard to hot climates, all of these regions are subject to bouts of hot weather, though some more so than others. For all intents and purposes, the South, Southeast, and Southwest generally present warmer weather conditions more consistently than the others. Some of the highest recorded temperatures are as follows.
Highest temperatures in the U.S.
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- Death Valley, CA – 134 degrees Fahrenheit – 1913
- Buckeye, AR – 125 degrees Fahrenheit – 1995
- Key West, FL – 77.8 degrees Fahrenheit – highest annual temperature
- McAllen, TX – most days with highest temperature in the U.S. – 231 days (Osborn)
Humidity plays a huge role in how hot it feels outside and can greatly affect those living in low density urban environments in the most humid cities. The definition of relative humidity, as it is most often referred to, is:
Easily stated humidity is simply the amount of water vapor held in the air. Water vapor is the gaseous state of water. As the temperature of the air increases more water vapor can be held since the movement of molecules at higher temperatures prevents condensation from occurring. There are three main measurements of humidity: relative, absolute and and specific. (Science Activity Center)
Some cities in the United States with the highest average humidity include the following.
Highest humidity in the U.S.
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- New Orleans, LA – 75.9
- Jacksonville, FL – 75.8
- Houston, TX – 74.7
- Orlando, FL – 74.1
- Tampa, FL – 74.1 (Osborn)
Physical effects of hot weather jobs
For those who choose to work outside in hot climates there are many dangerous issues that can arise.
The human body has an internal temperature of around 37oC, and it does NOT like it when that very specific figure wobbles in either direction. Changes of as little as a single degree can cause your body’s delicate biochemistry to glitch in unpleasant ways. (Martins)
These issues can take on the forms of:
- Severe sunburns
- Heat cramps
- Heat exhaustion
- Heat stroke (TWC)
Most heat-related illnesses occur when victims have been overexposed to heat or have over-exercised for their age and/or physical condition. When extreme heat is at its most deadly, it kills by forcing the human body beyond its capacity to cool itself down, slowing the processes by which normal body temperature is maintained. (TWC)
Care should always be taken to drink plenty of water, rest often, and seek shelter in bouts of extreme heat.
Worst jobs to have in hot climates
Before we discuss the best jobs to have in hot climates, it would be appropriate to understand the worst jobs to have. These professions take people to the depths of Hades on a daily basis. (Please note how this writer has supplemented their research with numbered and bulleted lists - an effective technique for any research paper.) Click here to get started on ordering a sample research paper for your own use.
These jobs include:
- Roofer
- Asphalt crew member
- Farmer
- Camp counselor
- Air conditioner repairman
- Delivery driver
- Utility worker
- Sanitation worker
- Garage door installer
- Pipe fitter (Anesi)
Best jobs to have in hot climates
Many believe that the answer to this question would be very simple. In order to avoid the uncomfortable, often dangerous, conditions that working outside provides, maybe it would be better to just avoid the outside altogether and work indoors. For some this is just not a viable option. There are, however, many jobs that can be performed outside that could provide pleasurable, even comfortable, means of employment.
These jobs include:
- Surfing Instructor: Being a surfing instructor in the hot weather has to be one of the best jobs you can do. You can spend hours in the sea teaching people to surf while cooling down and feeling refreshed.
- Ice Cream Researcher: In the heat wave everyone wants to cool down and what better way to do it than by testing and tasting ice cream. On a hot day the job often means you are sampling up to 30 ice creams a
- Flower Manager: This job requires ensuring that flowers from overseas are kept in a cold chain. The fridge is kept between 4C and 6C all year round meaning the heat would prove no problem for you.
- Sea Life Keeper: Imagine swimming with sea lions and penguins in the hot temperatures. It's part of a Sea Life keeper's daily job is to care for the creatures by getting in the water with them. (ANT)
Conclusion
So there you have it; the best jobs to have in hot climates. They keep people cool, while allowing them to work outside of office buildings and in the sunshine. Hot climates are not the best places in the world to world outside, but there are interesting, exciting, and viable options. It is always important to take care of your body when working outdoors, but many enjoy fulfilling careers in even the hottest of temperatures.
Works Cited
Agrometeorology Group. "World Climates." World Climates. N.p., 1997. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
Anesi, Jen. "You Tell Us: 10 Worst Jobs to Have in Hot Weather." Oakland Township-Lake Orion, MI Patch. N.p., 19 July 2011. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
ANT. "Heatwave: What Are the Best and Worst Jobs to Have in the Summer Sun?" Ashbourne News Telegraph. N.p., 02 July 2015. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.
Franco, Virginia. "Regional Climates in the United States." Travel Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
Martins, Daniel. "Five Horrible Things Extreme Heat Does to the Human Body." The Weather Network. N.p., 5 July 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.
Osborn, Liz. "Hottest Places in United States." - Current Results. N.p., 2016. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
Osborn, Liz. "Most Humid Cities in the United States." Most Humid Cities in USA. N.p., 2016. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
Science Activity Center. "What Is Humidity? How Is Humidity Measured?" What Is Humidity? How Is Humidity Measured? N.p., 2016. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
TWC. "Extreme Heat: Impacts on Your Health." The Weather Channel. N.p., 8 July 2013. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.