To think there must be something wrong with me because I absolutely can not tolerate the UK heatwaves - anyone else?

I'm like you in that I can't tolerate heatwaves. As soon as the temperature starts creeping over 28 degrees,I'm done. But like you I spend most of the winter feeling frozen! My DD said that I felt the cold more because I'd lost a substantial amount of weight over the last couple of years (7 and a half stone). So you'd think that being the case,I'd tolerate the heat better? We all know that being very overweight is not a good companion for a heatwave. Nope. Not a bit of it. If anything,I feel the heat even more now!

Heat is way worse. 125,000 heat-related deaths a year in Europe.

Same, I work with people from all over the world and most of them moan about the heat here more than I do 😆

Not looking forward to the 31-32c days. Two of those days are in my a/c office. Plus my car has it. It’s my chest that will struggle

It’s those days where it’s forecast to be 28/29c with thunderstorms. You can’t go out. Too hot to wear a waterproof. Can’t use a brolly just in case you get lightening.

My asthma has got worse since having Covid in March 2020 and July 2022. I was able to cope with the UK heatwaves before this.

I wonder if other posters had this problem too since getting Covid

Agree totally. Autumn is king.

It's raining, thank the lord. With my condition I can finally get back to normal.

The problem in the UK is that nothing is built for the heat, you get no relief. Houses aren't air conditioned and trap heat, buses and the tube aren't air conditioned, many stores and schools get ridiculously hot.
It's not THAT hot in the UK, certainly not hotter than many places around the world in normal times. But in a country that isn't used ot these temperatures, certainly not in previous decades/centuries when a lot of the infrastructure was built, the heatwaves hit different.

I detest the heat. I don’t sweat I just turn beetroot. I’m moving to Yorkshire got to be cooler than Essex.

Something weird happened this week. I was able to tolerate the heat! For the first time in my life. I am putting it down to starting HRT 3 weeks ago. My body no longer prickled and I've been able to walk around without the fear of sweat.

I think it may be because we get no time to acclimatise, we go from 15 deg to 30 in the space of a week! I spent Monday and Tuesday hiding in the coolest room in the house with a fan, cool towel and at one point ice packs on my groin to try and cool down! It’s then too hot to sleep properly so you feel even worse through lack of sleep!

Totally agree. I worry so much about my poor cat in heat of 30 degrees plus. A couple of days ago (the hottest day so far at 35 degrees) she had heat exhaustion. Thankfully I managed to cool her down with damp towels and keeping a fan on her but it was so worrying. As for people who say 'Enjoy it while it lasts',what is there to enjoy?! I am quite happy with 24 degrees,but I just can't cope with it when it starts creeping up to the thirties.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BUm7zWWgS/

made me smile on the subject.

Tbh I don't think you need any underlying health conditions to be miserable in this heat..it pretty much affects everybody.
Even healthy people can get heat stroke, dehydration, joint pain, electrolyte imbalances, low blood pressure. Your body basically has to work twice as hard to keep you functioning!

I don't have any big health issues but I still find this heat makes me feel totally wiped out, not to mention my knees are aching like crazy.
Give me a nice crisp, sunny autumn day instead, please!😀

No, I absolutely wasn't suggesting you go out in it. Stay indoors and move as little as possible. Sorry if I misled you.

I can't stand hot weather like this. I'm uncomfortable, the dog's uncomfortable and I'm constantly panicked about keeping her cool. Last week the daily average was 14 degrees and now it's shot up to 32 degrees. There's no chance to acclimatise. There's always people who say "enjoy it while it lasts it'll be gone soon" but IMO there's nothing to enjoy about it being this hot. 24 degrees, I understand the sentiment, but above 30 is stifling.

I can't stand them. I love the brighter days and more light, but the heat kills me.

I have thyroid problems, asthma and two other autoimmune illnesses. Yesterday I went for a walk with my relatives in the park and then felt ill all night and today. I currently have the curtains closed.

I get heat stroke easily. I have needed to go A&E a couple times.

My neighbours are living it up in the garden. I just want it to stop and dusk to come!

You are not alone. I am really struggling with this heat. In West London where I live it is 34 degrees at the moment,a good 10 degrees more than what I'm comfortable with. I am 62 so can't blame it on being menopausal. I am having problems with my mobility at the moment due to severe osteoarthritis in one of my hips and the heat certainly isn't helping. Also not helped by nearly everyone else raving about it and enjoying it. I get made to feel embarrassed about not liking it. I really can't see what there is to enjoy about being sticky and sweaty. I've lost 7 stone in recent years and pre-weight loss I thought it was due to being overweight. But I still feel the heat. And I get sick of the media with their predictable headlines,always containing the words 'sizzling' 'basking' and 'enjoying'. To my mind, seeing those words in one sentence is not good news.
Oddly,since losing the weight,I've noticed I feel the cold much more in the winter. I thought at first this was a good sign and that I would be able to tolerate the heat better,but no. Absolutely no difference at all. I'm just hoping that this summer doesn't turn out like last summer with 4 two week heatwaves between the beginning of June and the middle of August.

I felt worse than the first time with Covid. That was just days before the first lockdown and i didn’t know I had it until July 2020. People forget that many places didn’t have test centres nearby. Then it was 85 miles round trip.

Back to July 22. When got a temperature in hot weather it feels like 6c more

Oh i had my first lot of Covid during that July heatwave. It was hell.

I think as well you need to consider what you’re doing on holiday vs when you’re at home. When you’re at home you’re working, running errands, doing chores etc, the heat can be a nuisance if not managed via AC etc. On holiday you may be lounging by a pool, strolling down the the street window shopping, even if you’re doing something more active like a theme park or site seeing you’re usually interspersing that with leisurely meals and basically doing something fun you’re choosing to do…I think it changes our tolerance levels.

I agree with the poster talking about a “different type of heat” that’s ridiculous, but how we manage it in this country in terms of our infrastructure and what we’re doing in it when living our daily lives is what differentiates how we experience the heat to elsewhere.

I honestly think it’s the hypermobility- something like 80% of people with hypermobility syndrome/hEDS have autonomic nervous system dysfunction. It results in difficulty with temperature control, amongst loads of other things. I am being driven mad by the heat and like you I have always struggled and have hypermobility syndrome/hEDS

I have been to Orlando as a kid/teen. Even back in the early 90s, 99.5% of buildings were air conditioned. Even the hire car had it.

They build things to incorporate the weather.

UK buildings, especially houses are built to keep heat in.

@JenniferBooth I had my second bout of Covid in the mid July heatwave. It was awful

During the summer of 2022, the UK experienced five distinct heatwave periods ranging from 3 to 16 days in length, which culminated in a historic national temperature record of (40.3^{\circ }\text{C}). 1, 2]
According to the UK Health Security Agency, the five heatwave episodes included:
Episode 1: 4 days (June 16 to June 19)
Episode 2: 16 days (July 10 to July 25), which included the most intense 2-day period of Level 4 extreme heat (July 18 and July 19)
Episode 3: 7 days (July 30 to August 5)
Episode 4: 10 days (August 8 to August 17)
Episode 5: 3 days (August 23 to August 25)
The UK experienced four distinct, relatively short-lived heatwaves during the summer of 2025, each lasting between 5 to 6 days. While these events were brief, they occurred throughout the season and resulted in the warmest overall UK summer on record. 1, 2, 3]
Breakdown of the 2025 heatwave events:
Heatwave 1 (Third week of June): Officially declared in mid-June, lasting about five days in central and eastern England before breaking with thunderstorms.
Heatwave 2 (Late June - Early July): This event lasted about six days for parts of Yorkshire and the Humber and five days in the East. A longer, more intense spell of this heatwave affected London and southern areas, peaking at 34.7°C between June 23 and July 2.
Heatwave 3 & 4 (July and August): Additional, intermittent heatwaves occurred during these months, pushing the overall summer average for the UK to a record-breaking 16.1°C. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]