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 anything I have realised how lovely it has been without rain. I love this weather. I hate wearing so many clothes. I hate the cold.

Having lost my job (thank you Labour for turning my zero hours contract into a no hours contract) I have been able to bring in money because of the weather. As soon as it rains that will also over

It’s been awful. Stifling, with a layer of underlying panic about the future.

But how do we galvanise people (and really, big corporate and government) to turn this new appreciation for climate change into action?? Come autumn everyone on here will be back to talking about their seven overseas holidays next year and the boxes full of shite they're ordering from temu to ‘cosy up’ their houses 😭

Not to mention the thousands of new air con units being fitted up and down the country, only adding to the problem long term…

Rain forecast for where I am today. Hope they’re right.

I’ve been miserable since may and if this carries on I will be even more miserable. I am south east and it’s been so bad for weeks and we need rain.
Some days I wished I wasn’t around it’s that bad.
Horrendous and those fires are scary.
The world is burning up and no end in sight

100% with you.

@GarlicAnywhere what about next year? Hopefully not this again.

I agree it is unbearable. I’m menopausal, have hot flashes and night sweats irrespective of the weather. My bedroom is in the attic. My brother is a firefighter and was attending the Dove Stone fire for hours and hours.

Buckle up everyone, this is our new norm. Look up what a world map will look like if we don’t cool the planet down, it’s absolutely terrifying.

This is the global warming we have all been in denial about.

She has done credible sounding data and wasn't saying it in a catastrophic manner, it was more matter of fact in the way scientists talk about things.

I very much hope you are right, and she wasn't.

The UK is just not geared up for this type of heat. If it is regular, we have s major infrastructure issue.

It might not be over, we went on holiday in September a couple of years ago and it was about 30c, I have got up to open the doors downstairs, had to have the aircon on downstairs for the first time in a while last night because it was more than 26C inside yesterday there, we usually just have to have the bedroom one on because that is always hot. I don't generally like it on because it's noisy.

@Mespher 30 is a lot better than 38 though that's what we had today

You are probably best to get aircon fitted OP if you use the portables a lot and sell your portable ones. It may be cheaper and quieter to run.

Bloody auto correct.

That should read "she had some credible sounding data".

I’m in the South East too and have not enjoyed this heat one bit. Really hope the forecast is correct, as keeps saying it’s cooler next week and then it changes.

My partner is a firefighter here in south wales. I love hot weather but I’ve honestly never wanted it to rain so badly. I’m so done with him spending yet another night beating back a fire some little shit of a kid has started on the hillside. He totally exhausted.

Oh, yes, definitely, I think it was about 36 here yesterday and 30 inside, I just looked and it was September 2023 and it was above 30 for a week, I know we had to drag the aircon out again.

there is a promise of rain for me in the south east saturday afternoon but still 29 degrees

If yesterday was the last day in the 30s. Yipee!!

I completely agree, OP. I’m normally a lover of summer, but this year has just been horrid. I’m in Scotland, so we’ve not had it anywhere near as bad as other parts of the country, but the humidity is awful.

It started raining a bit yesterday and I thought “great, a little relief” - no such luck, the rain was warm, lasted for about 5 minutes and then we were back in full steam room mode.

It’s just so uncomfortable and I feel like no matter what I wear, I’m constantly dripping in sweat. I can’t walk the way I usually do because it just doesn’t feel nice.

I feel so sorry for animals in this weather, too - it must be 10 times worse for them.

Never thought I’d be a chunky knit and hot choc kinda person, but honestly, roll on Autumn 🍂🙏.

Please let it be over.

Im in Ireland and it’s still hot here but spent a few days in London during the red warning and I have never experienced anything like the heat, it was unbearable. I was ill from it. The tubes were dangerous. I will never forget it.

We get that a lot where I am in Scotland and it gives me the rage so badly.

I also saw the coast guard speeding past yesterday with lights on, clearly off to rescue someone and my immediate thought was that some idiot was in the water when they had no idea how to be in the water safely.

That was just something I made up in my head, and was probably a genuine accidental emergency, but when you see these things happening all the time, it makes you automatically think the worst of people.

This is why we need rain and a temperature drop - the heat and humidity make me too grumpy 😂.

If it’s any consolation to anyone on this thread, I saw Halloween and Autumnal decorations in a shop the other day.

Although that’s mental in its own way because it’s still August and I’d normally roll my eyes and moan about consumerism, it was also a relief to know we’re getting there and hopefully this is now the tail end.

It's clear this period is due to man made climate change. If everyone stopped eating meat we would impact the planet less.

When you say you've done everything you can have you gone veggie? Or even better vegan? It's the long game but the only way to properly address this

I work on a farm (care farm where people come with their LD and MH issues and we do active therapy as we farm). I’ve used all my a/l
up on days that have been plus 32 as peri meno me can’t physically cope with working outside in those temperatures. The animals are fed up. Everything we planted is either dead or spoiled. We have spent hour on hour watering things and trying to keep the animals healthy in the heat. It has been awful. And this after the wettest winter where at one point it rained every day for 5 weeks and we were up to our knees in mud. Also awful. We just want some normal weather. No rain in our forecast next week still bar a 20 per cent chance on Tuesday though it claims to be a bit cooler. Today-33 flipping degrees and I’m out of leave so I have to go in.