It’s over tomorrow, the heat is over for another year

[LaurieFairyCake]

Firstly I appreciate this is not the same for the rest of the country

but we’ve had it horrific here (London). I’ve never felt so shit in my life as I have for the last 10 weeks. I’ve spent between £250-350 a month on electricity (portable air conditioners). I’ve felt anxious, headachy, it’s FUCKED with my peri menopause (brain fog, no words, cognitive decline). I’ve felt tearful and as if it would go on forever. There are moments where I’ve thought I can’t take another moment of this. My sleep is proper fucked.

this has to change. I’ve done everything on a personsl
level I can. Air conditioners only when necessary, above 26 inside (DH has long Covid so literally throws up in heat). His asthma is exacerbated. The dogs have had the shittest summer. I’ve had a couple of rescues that can’t go out about 22 degrees. I reckon they’ve been walked briefly 3 times a week. We deliberately went away on a cheap caravan holiday twice just so they could smile. There were endless days I couldn’t work as too hot in my home office and clients cancelled.

I cannot wait til Saturday.

I hope for solidarity from others. I want to wear a fucking hoodie again. I’ve spent every day sat around in my underwear inside for vast stretches of the day. This is not sexy.

Whilst I hate how this has affected you, I’m heartened that others are the same as me. So many people I know say “just get on with it”. I actually can’t. My head feels like it’s in a vice, migraine frequency has doubled, I’m also peri and felt crap with disturbed sleep anyway. I can’t work in my house (so have had to waste lots of days hiding in our 26 degree livingroom). I just feel like I can’t regulate my temp at all (I am on migraine meds that allegedly disturb this). It makes me feel like life is just about getting through each day in the summer. Going to have to install air con (which is depressing environmentally).

We certainly seem to be having milder winters which is another positive!

This!!!!

also move with your money, switch to a bank that doesn’t invest in fossil fuels (monzo, nation wide co-op). Invest in companies which are supporting renewable energy and technology.

switch to a renewable energy provider (good energy, octopus)

Write to your MP about the climate crisis.

shop second hand - everything we possibly need already exits in the world

Talk to your employers about how remote working can reduce carbon footprint.

No point sitting around doing nothing! Stop lining the pockets of said billionaires

I’m so over it as well. To add insult to injury jury I’ve got an awful cold, so my head just feels like a hot swollen, sweaty snotty mess.

Dreaming of rain.

People comparing the temperature numbers to other countries ("oh it's 40c in Spain and I can walk around, stop moaning!") don't understand about humidity. That's our downfall in the UK. It's been just short of 30c this week in the north east of England, but the humidity is what makes unbearable.

When I was in Southern Europe a few weeks ago, it was 30c but low humidity, so it was comfortable, and easy to walk. My hair didn't frizz up at all out there, whereas here at 25c it will, because that's humidity.

In the UK you just feel wet and clammy when it's warm or hot, and that's why we get fed up.

We visited the Roman Forum last week when it was 40 degrees and it was then that I realised how true this is about buildings/stone!!

Let me guess... 1976?

So predictable.

I used to live in Madrid and this was a normal summer starting in June and lasting until around mid September. But they were well prepared for it. School finishes mid June and starts mid September but there are always activities for kids. Transport is air conditioned. Hospitals are air conditioned. Public Office workers start early and go home early at 3. Many apartment buildings have communal pools. Shutters on windows are wonderfully cooling. Citizens are very cautious about exposing themselves to the heat and know how to get into the shade. If anything Burnham needs to do is adapt this country to the climate change instead of dragging three steps behind. Desalination plants mean fewer water shortages. The Israelis and Arabs have the technology already,

I can understand why you’re ready for cooler weather after a summer like that. London heat can be particularly difficult when the temperature stays high indoors and there’s no real chance to recover overnight. Hopefully the change in weather gives you, your husband and the dogs some proper relief, and being able to open the windows and wear a hoodie again will feel like a luxury.

Some of this we have brought on ourselves, we have to stop taking away the greenery and replacing with concrete and cars. Paving over front gardens isn’t really helping

putting up outside blinds, using reflective film, keeping trees and bushes,

using inside blinds traps the heat and isn’t as affective. There is plenty we can and could do to make our living conditions more comfortable

I dunno. There's been a few times that it's been a bit uncomfortable, but I've enjoyed it on the whole.

I feel for you living in London. I grew up there but moved to the South coast nearly 40 years ago where it is considerably cooler and there is a breeze all the time except on extreme days like yesterday.

Yes in the winter the breeze is literally "knock you off your feet" style but in the summer..... Ahhhhh.

Hang in there. 😎

Totally agree, haven't slept properly for weeks (months?) and it's having a negative domino effect on everything in my life! My 12 year old senior dog is also miserable.

No, nothing to do with 1976 which was clearly a statistical outlier.

Where are you all getting these detailed forecasts out two week? Met Office only gives daily forecasts for the next 7 days. Anything more than that is guesswork.

Every year since I’ve lived (willingly!) in London I’ve struggled with the summer heat but this has been off the scale. We have two portable air conditioners in our house as I cracked many years ago and got them. Safe to say I’ve not felt particularly environmentally friendly this year running them so much but it’s really been relentless. I’ve also noticed that people who I consider to really like summer / hot weather have also hit their breaking point too. Cannot wait for this to be done and dusted!!

Some of this we have brought on ourselves, we have to stop taking away the greenery and replacing with concrete and cars. Paving over front gardens isn’t really helping

I never realised what a difference this makes. We moved to a leafier area with a bigger garden with trees etc & it really is cooler.

Autumn tat that people don’t need and Halloween costumes are part of the reason we’re in this mess.

These are some of the initiatives in Paris

Key Urban Cooling Strategies in Paris

• Pavement Removal: Ripping up asphalt and concrete in major public plazas and squares to stop heat retention.
• Urban Forests: Planting dense groves of climate-resilient trees to drop local summer temperatures by 2°C to 4°C.
• School Streets: Converting hundreds of zones around schools into car-free, green pedestrian spaces for families.
• Water Networks: Expanding underground infrastructure that circulates chilled water from the Seine river to cool public buildings

This is true. It was hot in Yorkshire yesterday for once. I went up on the moors for a hike and it was lovely, very bearable with a nice breeze. Back in the city it was awful and airless.

I am with you OP! It’s been horrendous. I cannot wait for cooler weather.

We need to move towards spending our money adapting to climate change not trying to hold it back like King Canute!
-more reservoirs dug now!
-electricity grid updates
-more trees in urban centres
-changes to planning laws to allow for awnings
-aircon in schools, hospitals and public transport
-subsidies for heat pumps that both heat and cool

Nope I won’t moan promise.

I’m in the midlands, and it’s looking a lot more bearable next week.

I hope you get some cooler weather soon!

It really does. A lot of people have that plastic grass in their gardens now, which is awful.

I so hope you are right, OP, although the forecast where I am (south coast) is 31 today, 29 tomorrow and 26 on Sunday so not much relief! I too an absolutely tired of this relentless glaring sun and heat - I feel sick the whole time, can't sleep more than 4/5 hours a night because I'm so hot and anxious about how hot the next day will be. My digestive system has gone haywire (always does in the heat). We have had no proper rain or even a shower since early June - my garden is finished - no colour left in it at all apart from a couple of hanging baskets which are just about hanging on with regular watering. I had so many plans for the garden back in May and have not done a single thing as it's just too hot.

I used to be a complete summer lover, but have completely changed my mind now - cannot wait for rain, frost and hopefully snow!

Edit to add that it's just boring as well to wake up to the endless blue sky and glowering sun in the sky! We need variety.