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.

I think we'll probably have more hot days in August and September, unfortunately, but God I can't wait for cold weather and rain that properly soaks deep into the ground.

Same! I am south west and it's been glorious! Has been so great for the kids, every day of the holidays so far has been sunshine. We are off to the splashpark again tomorrow, it's great is like being abroad on holiday! I have done my fair share of suffering, been sat in an airless office all day today but I will take that rather than weeks of rain!

Sorry guys but I have loved having a proper summer. It’s no different to going to Spain or Greece, which a lot of us pay thousands of pounds to do!

Next week is cooler but then the heat is due to return!

Round here the “end of the current heatwave” means the temp is dropping from mid to high 30s to mid to high 20s. So it won’t exactly be cold!
As for the rain - I’ll believe it when I see it. Rain has been forecasted a few times but never seems to arrive.

We don't work when we are on holiday.
Spain & Greece are more equipped to deal with the hot weather with buildings painted white & shutters on the windows. Plus they're used to the heat. (Probably not when it hits 40C plus)

It’s not the same because neither the wild life, nor the vegetation, nor the buildings are set up for it,

I’ve really enjoyed it too but I can see it’s fairly damaging.

Except...

1. Their homes are built with this in mind, whereas we've built ours to keep the heat IN
2. There is often air con
3. Their lifestyle is built with this in mind - things slow down during the hottest part of the day
4. If you're there on holiday, that's very different to trying to work / function / rush around in it. Everything's better when you can cool off in the pool!

Am so with you OP.

Has been the single most horrific summer of my life, I am barely functioning.
Am also in London, it’s been indescribable just how debilitating this has been-I am so exhausted.

But over tomorrow? IF ONLY.
It’s boiling here & I wish you were right but don’t see this ending anytime soon.

The fires are made worse by climate change. A drier environment provides more fuel.

And the thing that's really annoying me - when the weather turns, and it's rained for a week or two, and it becomes totally clear that we're heading into winter - I know for a fact that I will feel like we didn't have a summer. Because I've barely been outside and I've not done any of the nice things I do in the summer 😩

I think you're right OP and this will be it. Lack of sleep, being able to get anything done, and too hot to go anywhere. Will be so glad to see the back of it.

Well speak for yourself. Some of us wouldn't go to Spain ot Greece if you offered to pay us thousands of pounds 😆

Problem is if it does rain alot in a short period, the ground is so hard and dry that it won't absorb as quick and then risk of flooding. This extreme weather is awful

I'm 100% with you OP, although sods law next week i could've done with a better forecast as its our week's holiday to the good old British coast! Nevermind...
Can eceryone who's had a shitter this summer be sure to write to your MPs and tell them to give Andy Burnham's head a wobble? Who in their right mind thinks drilling for oil is the right move after the last few months?!

Tonight we have, on the request of firefighters, hosed our fences and garden in the hope it will defend against the local fires that have destroyed homes near to us.

We have bags packed in case we need to evacuate.

It's horrendous.

Everyone talking about how the heat has affected them and steps they are taking to avoid it in the future but no mention of any actions to reduce the impact of climate change and fix the source of the problem….

You should think about moving north, op.

I am not looking forward to the weather getting colder, obv 24-26 is not cold anyway but I cant imagine wearing winter clothes and hoodies when it actually gets colder. Not looking forward to it at all! Wish we had air con indoors definitely but outdoors is lovely.

That said, it is awful with the fires etc so obviously the best thing would be cooler weather/rain.

Watching it on the news earlier was quite horrific, not that far from us and lots of smoke in the air. Terrifying. Hopefully you won't need to evacuate.

In Ireland and we had a slight break for two or three days and it was lovely! And the rain! I stood at the door and listened and appreciated it. I get we’ll be fed up of it but actually I won’t because we’re into the fun time of the year now😉

Quite.

I hope everyone will be writing to their MP calling for a national emergency briefing.

https://www.nebriefing.org

Personally I love being in the sun, but I’ve hated watching the suffering it has caused humans and wildlife.

The source of the problem isn't you, me and others, it's the big corporations and war mongers who are polluting the planet, oh and the arsonists!

OP I empathise. Luckily I'm retired but I just can't cope with this heat. I can't get any proper cleaning done, nor ironing or gardening. On the really unbearable days we've been going to our local air conditioned library. You can't even enjoy the garden as it's unbearable even in the shade. I know some of my medications cause me to overheat and perspire a lot. All in all it's just felt like a 'wasted' summer.

Oh god! Really sorry to hear this. What area roughly?

We have had a ton of fires and our county has now announced a state of emergency as they are so overwhelmed with calls