Hotlanta

I hail from Atlanta, AKA - the ATL, A-town, etc. At sometime in my childhood, Atlanta got the nickname Hotlanta. I've found it recently to be a bit warmer in Islamabad.

I don't think Hotlanta is a commonly used term in Atlanta, but everyone there has heard it. I saw this nickname for the first time flying back to Atlanta at the top of the Hartsfield Airport escalator, and I laughed - I thought it was a joke (possible origin). However, given the relatively hot and humid summers, the nickname stuck.

The BBC reports the following averages for Atlanta and Islamabad, respectively.

[Remember your critical thinking and don't let the scales swerve your conclusion]. Atlanta's highest average maximum temperature is 31 C in July, while Islamabad sees it's highest average maximum temperature at 40 C in June - or 88 F to 104 F. Ouch! Atlanta still takes the cake with humidity overall, whereas Islamabad only worries about July and August.

Granted, the Islamabad community frequently runs inside with these temperatures. A/C is a short distance from this relatively wealthy community. In the summer and weekends, many people travel north to higher elevations; this is the time to venture into the mountainous passes in NWFP and Kashmir. Murree (8,000 ft) [blog] is the closest hill station from Islamabad (1,600 ft) with an approx. 2 hour drive; first established by the British looking to escape the heat near Islamabad.

A friend said he could sit by the crystal blue pool for a few hours and sweat as if he had just had a great workout. Umm... nice!