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.

If you chatted to a few farmers you would be happy we have some rain eventually.

I truly found this summer hell and was genuinely sick, so by comparison the cooler wet weather is truly bliss.

In fact I had previously never appreciated the darker months. As soon as the light started fading, I would feel creeping depression looming.

But over the last few days I have noticed it getting darker earlier, and for the first time I feel glad and ready for the change. The glaring white hot sun each morning heralding yet another brow mopping, energy sapping, hellishly hot day ahead was really getting me down.

Same. Am in London. Tube was hellish.
Welcome the rain.

Me too. I decided a few years ago that battling against the normal routine changes through the year was absolutely pointless and ridiculous. By going with the flow of the seasons and adjusting as necessary it is infinitely less stressful.
I didn’t enjoy the heat this summer and will make sure that I prepare in advance next year as best I can.
My life is definitely better for being more zen!
(And no, I’m not a hippy dippy old lady, just older and wiser)

The trains and tube were awful! I’m not sad to see it end just based on that alone.
The cooler weather is welcomed

Summer 26 was the first time I’ve ever been beaten by heat.

Couldn’t sleep, work much or exercise. Upside, garden looks incredible with buckets of tomatoes ripening merrily.

Exactly
in the heat i just couldnt do anything - waiting for the heat to lessen
reminded me of when we had no heating one february, too cold to do anything

Just returned from a holiday in the south of France (Montpellier) and really seeing the idiocy of climate change deniers saying "just enjoy the sun and be more Mediterranean"

The temperatures averaged about 32/33 (we were lucky in that Montpellier was a few degrees cooler than nearby cities) but it was bearable due to so much of the city being shaded by tall buildings close together, shutters and lots of avenues with mature trees. We did have aircon in the hotel but tried to use it only at night.

I had a morning trip to Nimes (forecast around 37 in the afternoon so I left about 1pm) and found it very pleasant walking around almost entirely in shade.

In Perpignan had a nice lunch on an outside terrace despite plus 30 heat - in a narrow street with tall buildings.

So how are we going to replicate this in the UK? Find very quick growing trees? Pull down all our cities and rebuild them with narrow streets? Ban curtains and insist on shutters?

And of course if UK finds itself with Mediterranean temperatures then these beautiful French cities are going to find themselves unliveable in +40 heatwaves.

Personally I found this summer amazing.

I am usually in pain and get by on pain killers, even to kill the pain so I can get to sleep
I have spent the last few months pain free and have got so much done.

One thing we could do is not give planning permission for blocks of flats where the only windows are all on one side of a flat.

I used to live in a flat where all the windows were on one side of the flat. South facing. No window in the kitchen or bathroom.

Where I'm living now is a bit better, but I am hoping to move to a flat soon where there are windows on the west and east side of the flat. In heatwaves I can open windows on both sides at dawn to hopefully get a cooling breeze. It will cool down the flat then I will keep the windows closed all day.

In my opinion every flat should have a window in the kitchen and bathroom and every flat should have cross ventilation. Some architects can do it so all of them should have to.

It’s great that it was helpful for you @FairKoala. I think you are probably in a small minority though, sadly.

Loving the current rain. Cheering me up.

Bring back the sun and heat . I’m manifesting it!