BELOW FREEZING: The impact was somehow lost in translation

This morning I texted my friend George, who lives on the south coast of England, telling him it was a bitter 4 degrees here with ferocious winds. He was unimpressed, reporting that it was 12 there. Then I reminded him that we Yanks use the Fahrenheit system: 4 degrees F is the equivalent of minus-14 C. That got his attention! He expressed his wonder that anyone can live in our climate.
A pal of mine described the multiple layers of Carhartts she was wearing to do her barn chores in this frigid weather. She was warm, she said, but had considerable trouble moving around.