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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

338 replies

Saywhatnowhey · 22/05/2026 09:47

I am 53 and in perimenopause so that is not helping at all but I have always been like this.

As soon as summer hits and these heatwaves come out of nowhere I feel dreadful. I have never been able to tolerate either cold or hot weather at all, even when I was younger. As a child I preferred winter over summer so I could cover and layer up.

Where I live in the UK it is often the most hot and humid weather during the summer months and it makes me feel so physically unwell. I have some existing health issues but none that are related to temperature intolerance so no idea why I get like this. It's only 9.30am and I have already had to sit down with my neck fan on. Just hanging out a few loads of washing and tidying up the kitchen has left my heart racing, my stomach churning (I do have IBS which gets worse in the summer) and I feel so nauseous (I always feel so sick in the heat). Other than pace and fan myself there doesn't seem to be a lot I can do to dampen down the ill feeling I get.

No one else I know is like this, everyone adores this heat and really looks forward to it, some saying the hotter the better but I just want to lay on my bed and lay with the fan on all day, I feel so lightheaded and weird.

I have mentioned this numerous times to my GP but my blood levels return ok so they don't have any suggestions.

Is it normal to feel so unwell during the summer months? Does anyone else get this?

I freeze during the winter, like to the bone frozen but I would rather take that over the summer because at least I can carry my trusty hot water bottle around with me and layer up. The sticky, humid UK summers make me want to rip my skin off. It really annoys me because I love warmth and sunshine - I could happily reside in September and October for the rest of my days, I am at my most comfortable in Autumn.

OP posts:
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phoenixrosehere · 23/05/2026 11:00

Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:20

No, I am slim and have been my whole life.

Show quote history

I get tired of the assumption that if you suffer with heat, you are likely overweight. Several members in my immediate family are overweight and the heat and sun has little to no effect on them.

I struggle with heat and have since childhood to the point of fainting and vomiting afterwards. I have also been slim my entire life. My blood pressure is within healthy range although on the lower end. I am NT. I also run warm.

I’m the only one in my immediate family that the heat and sun affects me this way. My mother gets heat rashes from being in the sun and has had to take prescription creams for years. My sister breaks out in them periodically. I only started getting heat rash subtly on my left wrist last year but it has faded away.

The heat and sun completely drains me and I have to have two fans going in a room to be comfortable in my home.

Funny enough, DH runs cold and even he says the summers are starting to get to
him.

Unfortunately, we don’t have about £2K lying around to put in AC and we do enjoy living in the SE through the other three seasons.

tsmainsqueeze · 23/05/2026 10:56

I used to hate heatwaves , Summer is not my favourite season but i have changed my behaviour when it's very hot.
Work aside -which is ok as we have air con in most areas i make any plans for early morning , avoid busy hot places and potter around the house and in and out of the garden , i have a summerhouse which is lovely on a sunny day .
I quite like the odd few hot days at home now , i do like thinking about Autumn though .

Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:55

Deadleaves77 · 23/05/2026 10:31

If your so heat intolerant that you feel sick and get palpitations at 20 degrees then yes you should take that pretty significant need into account when chosing a house. There will have been other houses with bedrooms not in the roof

Feeling physically unwell at 9am at about 20 degrees after some very mild housework is absolutely not normal and honestly should be investigated further. That's a complete inability to regulate your body temperature

Show quote history

I am not going into why we purchased our house because frankly it's none of your business and because my house isn't the reason I posted this thread, I am asking people if they find the UK summer heatwaves hard on their bodies, the house has nothing to do with it. I live with 3 other people and they are fine.

Oh, I forgot, I had posted this in AIBU - yep, your reply makes sense now, are you usually this obtuse and pedantic or is the heat affecting you too?

OP posts:
Deadleaves77 · 23/05/2026 10:31

Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 09:59

We bought the house because it was within our budget and near my parents as I help care for my mum. Maybe in MN world there are people with funds to pick and choose their lifestyle accordingly to their exact needs and wants- meanwhile some of us live in the real world.

Just because YOU don't feel the heat doesn't mean that others don't or can't suffer like me, you do understand that concept don't you? That we are all different and experience things differently in life. The fact that one of my questions in my OP was 'Is it normal to feel so unwell during the summer months?' has received many replies from people saying they feel the same has actually put my mind at ease.

Show quote history

If your so heat intolerant that you feel sick and get palpitations at 20 degrees then yes you should take that pretty significant need into account when chosing a house. There will have been other houses with bedrooms not in the roof

Feeling physically unwell at 9am at about 20 degrees after some very mild housework is absolutely not normal and honestly should be investigated further. That's a complete inability to regulate your body temperature

Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:27

PixellatedPixie · 23/05/2026 09:09

Of course you need an aircon unit. It’s a weird British peculiarity to struggle in the heat without them. There are studies and subsequent articles about the fact that hot and humid countries like Singapore would never have been as productive if it wasn’t for the invention of air con!

I will say it again - I can not afford an air conditioning unit.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:25

Auburngal · 23/05/2026 07:46

One thing I am not missing in this hot weather is wearing the supermarket uniform of polyester. They clung to us

I used to work for a well known Optical store, the uniforms there were 100% polyester, I fainted on the bus to work one summer. I felt like I had been wrapped up in cling film. I do not miss those days at all.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:23

HoraceCope · 23/05/2026 09:18

dh wants to go to the beach but unless there is a sea breeze i hate it and we have a dog so we are scuppered

I live by the coast but I never go on the beach in the summer, I never find it fun at all. You will find me and my dog on the beach in the Autumn and Winter, I love it then.

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Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:20

Princessfluffy · 23/05/2026 00:44

Are you overweight by any chance OP? I lost 15kg and it has made the hot weather noticeably more bearable.

No, I am slim and have been my whole life.

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Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:18

BertieBotts · 22/05/2026 23:06

I am like this too. I can barely function when it's too hot or too cold. I moved abroad and it is no better even though it is less humid here, all that has done is shift my tolerance a bit so I can now cope with it being up to about 28C, maybe 30ish for short periods. I do notice I seem to cope with heat very differently to other people though. Like other people are just walking and moving around normally whereas I feel like I am barely existing. Some people even work outside all day in the hot sun/freezing cold - there's absolutely no way I would be functional enough to work in direct sunlight on a hot day. My only thoughts on days like that are how I can find my way to shade or cooler inside. I plan my walking routes to maximise shade etc.

No antiperspirant seems to work on me so I sweat a lot and I find I get very sweaty in a short period so e.g. just walking to school to pick up DC will have me overheating and sweating loads if I dress too warmly. And when I come inside after having walked somewhere I often get a hot flush and get really sweaty as well. Then after I strip right down to a t-shirt 5 minutes later I'll be cold again. I don't think this is menopause related, because I've been like that since my teen years - I can remember it happening in lessons at school, and in my late teens had a few instances of nearly blacking out when I did something like run to catch a bus, although I put that down to probably low blood sugar as I used to undereat massively. (Not for weight reasons, I just never used to eat breakfast).

I also have ADHD, also slim (close to underweight) rather unfit, and I have wondered if it is related to any of these things. The description of dysautonomia is very long and complicated but does seem to fit in a few areas. I get a bit of POTS-like lightheadedness on standing but when I have measured blood pressure and pulse, the difference isn't quite large enough to warrant testing.

My other theory is it is part of sensory processing differences and perhaps I just perceive temperature differently, like it's more extreme than it is.

You sound very similar to me. I have wondered for quite some time if I might have EDS, I am very hypermobile, have IBS, ADHD and endometriosis. I have read these can all be interconnected, I have tried getting my GP to take this seriously but she says everyone is a bit hypermobile, I am more than a bit! I am seeing an osteopath next month, she specialises in EDS so I will ask her opinion.

I too experience lightheadedness when standing, especially if I bend down and stand up and my heart races. I have tested my blood pressure laying and standing and mine goes up too but like you, not a massive jump. I'm not sure what to think really. All I know is that it is shit isn't it? It's all very well people coming on here saying we are moaning about the heat for no reason but I genuinely feel unwell when there is a heatwave.

OP posts:
hopelessbusiness · 23/05/2026 10:12

Not sure if it's been said but Cornwall is a good shout for anyone who doesn't like the heat.
pissed off sunworshipper in St Austell sat looking out at the mist and the murk, in a balmy 16°

Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:09

Autumngirl5 · 22/05/2026 19:05

I am the same. I dread the summer, partly because the heat makes me feel ill but I also have this feeling that everything is out of control, which I know is illogical.
I am going to Norway next week so hoping it is cool there!

Have fun, I have never been but Norway and Scandinavia in general is at the top of my wishlist of places to visit.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:06

SqueakyFromme · 22/05/2026 18:32

YANBU it's vile and all the salad has sold out in Aldi and the roads are rammed (I live on the coast) and its really noisy I hate the summer.

Edited

I live near the coast too, it's crazy today. My daughter started a summer job in a holiday park yesterday, she said it was boiling (she too dislikes this heat).

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 10:03

RudolphTheReindeer · 22/05/2026 18:16

Could it be a sensory thing? I have asd and I'm the same. I assume my body just can't regulate my temp very well. I'm also on ssri's which I don't think helps. I get so tired I need naps every afternoon and feel like shit. I've found making an effort to drink more helps and I think im going to try electrolytes this year to see if that helps even more.

Show quote history

It could be, I was only diagnosed with adhd last year at 52 so I am still researching things about it. I often think that I may also have asd and that may be why I struggle, I do have a lot of sensory issues.

I might try some electrolytes too but I have to be really careful what I consume as I have awful IBS, I usually stick to water.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 09:59

Deadleaves77 · 22/05/2026 17:57

How hot actually was it before 9.30 this morning when you felt unwell? I mean it hadn't barely got above 18/19 here this morning before 9. If you genuinely feel nauseous/lightheaded at 20 degrees then yes I would say that's a medical issue, unless your not drinking enough or sleeping.

And why on earth would you buy a house with the bedroom in the roof if you are both heat and cold intolerant?! That's insanity

I really don't think its been that hot today, I totally get when it gets above 30 but I don't have any problems with late 20s in the UK. I've not been particularly sweaty or sticky today. I think it's a myth the heat abroad is more comfortable, its just you have hotels with Aircon and your not doing anything. I worked in Venice for a bit, and our flat had no aircon that was total hell, I barely slept for weeks I was so fucking hot all the time. Nothing in the UK has ever made me feel like that relentless nighttime heat with no let up, and we're only talking Italy!

We bought the house because it was within our budget and near my parents as I help care for my mum. Maybe in MN world there are people with funds to pick and choose their lifestyle accordingly to their exact needs and wants- meanwhile some of us live in the real world.

Just because YOU don't feel the heat doesn't mean that others don't or can't suffer like me, you do understand that concept don't you? That we are all different and experience things differently in life. The fact that one of my questions in my OP was 'Is it normal to feel so unwell during the summer months?' has received many replies from people saying they feel the same has actually put my mind at ease.

OP posts:
Original poster
Saywhatnowhey · 23/05/2026 09:51

AmethystDeceiver · 22/05/2026 17:55

Every time the temp climbs above 24 mumsnet fills with people moaning about the heat. I find it crazy. Just buy a flipping ac unit. Literally that is the only thing you can do, why does no one ever do it??? They are like £250 on Amazon. If you put £20 away each month since the last time you felt this way you'd have one by now!!!

PS - I'm having a cold drink in the sun watching my bone dry laundry on the line and hoping it lasts forever 😜

Maybe some of us can't afford an air-con unit (I am on carers allowance) and maybe some of us moan because we genuinely feel quite unwell in this horrid humid heat.

OP posts:
OurFlagMeansAfternoonTea · 23/05/2026 09:40

The Wheel
THROUGH winter-time we call on spring,
And through the spring on summer call,
And when abounding hedges ring
Declare that winter's best of all;
And after that there s nothing good
Because the spring-time has not come —
Nor know that what disturbs our blood
Is but its longing for the tomb.

WB Yeats

Portakalkedi · 23/05/2026 09:36

Me too, hate it but you can't say it IRL.

HoraceCope · 23/05/2026 09:18

dh wants to go to the beach but unless there is a sea breeze i hate it and we have a dog so we are scuppered

RampantIvy · 23/05/2026 09:17

RonnieForteWhiskyTalkinNSOUL · 23/05/2026 09:16

25 is our preferred max and as we are NE Scotland it doesn't go much above that very often.

Feel sorry for people down south when seeing temps of 34-38..just no.

While I enjoy heat I don't think I would like that either, especially in a south facing flat in London with no outside space.

RonnieForteWhiskyTalkinNSOUL · 23/05/2026 09:16

25 is our preferred max and as we are NE Scotland it doesn't go much above that very often.

Feel sorry for people down south when seeing temps of 34-38..just no.

VintageLane · 23/05/2026 09:10

Poor you. This sounds miserable.

I would definitely mention the heart rate thing to the GP.

PixellatedPixie · 23/05/2026 09:09

Of course you need an aircon unit. It’s a weird British peculiarity to struggle in the heat without them. There are studies and subsequent articles about the fact that hot and humid countries like Singapore would never have been as productive if it wasn’t for the invention of air con!

emeraldcoffee · 23/05/2026 09:05

Me!

I live in an old Victorian house and there are a couple of cooler rooms so that helps. I then pray for it to be over!

Hate that can’t walk the dog in the day etc. we like to do a shorter morning walk before work and long evening one- but in the heat this can be 10pm.

RampantIvy · 23/05/2026 09:04

@BertieBotts I have magnetic "clip on" sunglasses that attach to my glasses. They are a game changer for me, especially when driving or going in and out of shady places.

Something like this

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