to think people saying it's much hotter elsewhere should stop

[notanevilstepmother]

Other places have the infrastructure to deal with hotter weather or colder weather as appropriate.

I'm fine when it gets cold and I can always add another layer.

I really can't go to work naked.

As for whoever it was that thought walking dogs at night and not during the day was being precious first doggy, their paws burn. Please don't walk them on hot pavements.

Off to sit in the car which is the only place with air con.

I don't get the problem. How hot is it where you are OP? Where I am, it's a bit too hot to be very active so I sympathise with people doing heavy work, but otherwise just take it easy. I don't get this can't sleep at night business either. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up at 10 last night.

Not true that there's aircon in hot countries. I wouldn't want to try being a poor person in India. There's far too much air con in this country, on all year in lots of places like cafes and shops and big workplaces whereas all we need is simple fans for days like these.

As for going to work naked, it you have a simple summer dress that doesn't cling, there's no difference between that and being naked.

The idea that you can put on another layer is rubbish as well. I can't type wearing gloves and a big coat.

"why not consider air con?"

Because it's really bad for the environment? Because it's an unnecessary expense for just a couple of hot days??

What sort of clothes are you wearing?

I wear loose fitting cotton tunics or kaftan type tops, usually with bare legs. For work I wear loose knee length silk dresses. Pure silk is very cool and feels like I'm not wearing anything! I also have baggy cotton trousers (harem style but high crotch) which I wear with floaty silk blouses.

If you're in jeans/heavy trousers/synthetic fabrics/leggings or anything tight you will inevitably feel hot and restricted. It's taken me many years to learn this! It was only when I lived abroad for a while, I realised I was dressing all wrong for the heat. A big hat helps too.

"Our business wear, for example, isn't remotely designed with this kind of weather in mind."

Your boss forces you to wear a suit when it's over 25 degrees? I doubt that really. It's true that you'd need to go to Spain or somewhere to buy light fabric suits and it wouldn't be worth the money here anyway, but most people would be allowed to wear smart linen trousers or at least take their blazers off.

I do feel sorry for the police and people who wear uniforms as they seem to have a blanket rule on summer and winter wear so everyone looks the same - they can't adapt according to how hot or cold they feel as an individual.

"Neither are a lot of our school uniforms. Hence ties, tights, blazers etc being obligatory in some contexts. "

Tights are obligatory in the summer!!! I've never heard of that. We had a summer dress version of our school uniform growing up. A sort of gingham pattern in school colours. It was already unpopular by the time I got to secondary school and I never felt the need for it anyway. Skirt, blouse and tie was fine for me and I think ties were allowed to be loosened if it was very hot.

"If you think someone is moaning unnecessarily about the heat/being hysterical/have nothing of any value to post just DON'T POST."

MN is not a dictatorship. People are allowed to disagree. My problem is with cold weather and 'hot' people who want the world to go their way e.g. air con in offices.

The reason people complain about the heat in the UK is because people refuse to change their behaviour to accommodate the weather.

This just isn't true, though. If you had said it was one reason, you'd be right, but it's a fact that there are people who do change it who still find it too much. That's not a matter of opinion.

And gwen mine doesn't, I work from home anyway, but there are most certainly people working or studying in environments where heavy clothes even in hot weather are compulsory. If you've not heard of it, read more threads on here! There was a large, fairly bunfighty thread about school blazers in hot weather quite recently. I think it was Chat but it should still be around.

Although the fact that you said 'most' people rather than all does actually indicate that you're aware there are some people who wouldn't have the option of tailoring their clothing to weather. This is before we consider those who have to wear work uniforms that aren't designed for the heat either, hot tunics etc. They absolutely exist, however much anyone might prefer to downplay them, and clearly the advice people have patronisingly given about choosing appropriate clothing is about as much use to them as a chocolate teapot.

With TheDogAteMyGoatSkinVellum's point in mind, I really think there needs to be some serious government planning on how to deal with working conditions in the heat. It's ridiculous that blazers, ties etc. are required at some schools and workplaces; just as if it was a requirement that a coat wasn't allowed on snowy days. Our climate is changing and we need to be able to work and go to school safely when it's hot.

Yes, the banning coats on snowy days analogy is an apt one. It's ridiculous, it really is.

When we had a hot day when I was at school, a message would come round saying that boys (and by extension male teachers) were allowed to take their ties off (girls didn't have to wear ties). This doesn't seem to happen at DS's school. Their classroom must be stifling. I think people should be able to moderate their behaviour and dress according to the weather, within reason.

I love this sort of weather if I'm on holiday in Devon or the Lake District. But I have trouble sleeping at night as our bedroom is so hot, even with the ceiling fan on.

Really irritates me! You wouldn't say to someone who thought it was cold "Well, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Antartica was -94.7C so you're not really experiencing coldness, are you"?

I lived somewhere it's like this (and hotter!) for about 300 days of the year.

It is different. Houses had marble flooring, ceiling fans, huge balcony doors, schooling timed to reflect the heat etc.
Uniforms etc reflected the heat.

I've also lived somewhere it snows the whole winter - again that place was set up for that so the effects minimal.

I've wanted to buy a tower fan but they are all out of stock in somewhere I can get to today. It would make a difference as ATM it's 26°c inside my flat 😅

I've lived in hot countries and yes they are more geared up for it. It I agree that we need to adapt our lifestyles for the very short periods it gets this hot here.

House near us is having building work done. Inside - loft conversion. Builders doing their usual 8 till 4 by the looks of it. Seems to me it would have made sense to change the time of the working day and do 6 till 11 and 4 till 7. But it's not part of th culture here to do that and presumably may not fit in with other family commitments.

I have a system for trying to keep the house cool with curtains closed and opening windows when sun goes down. Works ok. Last night though local farmer decides to manure his fields near us. I know they need to do it and it normall doesn't bother me but bloody anti social to do it on hottest night of the year! I had to close all the windows as it stank so much.

'MN is not a dictatorship. People are allowed to disagree.'

Of course you're allowed to, but at times it's just so pointless and nasty and unhelpful. Whilst, you are allowed to be nasty and unhelpful, I just wish people wouldn't!

If someone posts saying they are finding the heat unbearable there is absolutely no need to respond 'well it's 57c here and I'm wearing a coat'. Just...why? Because you can and it's not a dictatorship?! Really?

I lived and worked in hot countries during my thirties. The difference is that life is set up to deal with the heat, even down to what kinds of food you eat during summer.

On the opposite side, many of these countries were not set up to deal with colder weather. I remember one year, during winter, the apartment we were in was so cold, we never took our coats off until we were ready for bed.

I'm in South Oz and we regularly get 40-45 degree days/weeks in summer but its a dry heat. No way could i cope with the humid/muggy kind of heat you guys describe, i cant even handle being in the pool changerooms etc because of the mugginess!!
I'm sat here with my heater on though and its 8.2 outside.

Everyone saying stop complaining is welcome to come to work with me this afternoon where I have to wear a heavy polyester blend nurses uniform. I work in secure mental health so all doors are locked (no through draft) all windows open less than an inch, we have no air con and we aren't allowed fans for infection control reasons. The past few days have been like torture at work.

There are lots of things people here just don't seem to know (sorry to be patronising!)

You need to stay in the shade, wear loose clothing, move a bit more slowly, drink more water, run your wrists under a cool tap for a few mins ( cools your entire body)

Sorry, I've got no time for the moaning.

Its hot for about 10 days a year in this country. Buy a fan. Stock up on cold drinks. Its not going to kill you.

Luna, it's muggy but not at all the same as 40. I'm also from south oz, and I disagree that everyone in hot countries is set up to manage better. We had no aircon, you still wear office clothes and have to commute on trams without aircon. You don't go for a run at lunchtime!

timeisnotaline, yep you adapt. I didnt have an air-con for years and used to sit-lay in front of my rotating fan with a spray bottle of water i kept in the fridge cooling myself off! I have a reverse cycle aircon/heater, does central heating not work like that?

Its not going to kill you.

Possibly not the best turn of phrase given that seasonally related deaths apparently go up once it gets past 25 degrees...

It was bloody hot last night, despite the temperature drop.

I am on the third floor with a little attic window. It was stifling.

BTW I am not moaning. I just disagree that it isn't hot enough at night to make sleeping harder. As a crap sleeper having a fan on keeps me up most of the night but my room is like a green house.

Have to agree with the mugginess thing. There's heat and there's muggy heat, big difference. 40° is absolutely not the same everywhere.

There's definitely variation even within the UK as to how fresh it is. Some areas much more muggy and clammy than others, even when the temperature is the same.

TheDogAteMyGoatskinVellum So true! I imagine those posting about what lovely days they are having in the sun to be in the countryside, or somewhere by the coast where life is slower, not slap bang in the middle of a city surrounded by concrete and just people in general!