To prefer a summer of rain to summer heatwave if we have to choose between the extremes?

[WeWantSweet]

At least we still have the bright mornings and the light nights and if I get damp it's because I haven't rainproofed myself..

Personally I loved the heatwave and welcome it back with open arms.

What's ridiculous, flooding?

You have a point. It’s horrible getting into a boiling hot car and when it’s so hot at night you have to have your windows open and your neighbours are having a noisy party in their garden.

Don't mind the rain too much except my grazing paddocks are getting a tad soggy. Horses prefer being naked so at least I don't have to worry about that

What I really hate is what we're scheduled to get next week here, which is warm and also pissing it down. Worst of both worlds! At least in a heatwave or really cold snap you can dress for it.

I deeply resent that last summer - when I was heavily pregnant - was so hot, and this summer - when I am not pregnant and could enjoy it - has been miserable.

According to the forecast, the dreaded heatwave will hit London next week. Argh. Fingers crossed it’s short....

YABVU
First of all I would like to point out that we don’t all live in London. Some of us have had significantly more rain than those of you in the warmer parts of the country. Day after day after day of relentless rain and gloomy grey skies at any time of year is depressing, but even more so in “summer”. It is even warm either.

MN has a disproportionate number of summer haters, or a small very vocal number of them, but I suspect that most of these heat haters live in London or the Southern half of the country, and last summer mustn't have been very pleasant for them.

Up in the wilds of Yorkshire we very rarely get temperatures over 25 degrees and I love proper summer weather a) because it is such a rarity, and it hardly ever gets unbearably hot here b) because I suffer from SAD, and the default weather here is grey and damp most of the year c) My electricity bill is rising because I can't line dry my washing, so I am using my tumble dryer a lot, and we are still in jeans that take ages to dry d) I have loads of lovely summer dresses that haven't seen the light of day this year.
I feel sorry for the people of Wainfleet and anywhere else that suffers from flooding. Also, farmers who need some sunshine. I noticed that Morrisons have slashed the prices of their gas barbecues the other day.
And last of all - heat haters get their preferred weather for most of the year, so it seems a little unfairly balanced in their favour.

"Warm enough to get outside lots without all the horrible heat"

The point is it isn't. I think when people post on threads like this they should state what part of the country they are in. I am still in my winter clothes.

"We should have 3 months of each season properly and equally. It's the only fair way."

I agree SoupDragon

“We've already had one poster rejoicing about the nights drawing in and it won't be long before people start talking about cosy and snuggling etc ”

“People will talk about how they love warming up under blankets and in front of fires (although they don't like heat) and how we have crisp Autumn days (no, we have grey)”

I love a crisp, bright autumn day, but they are as rare as hen’s teeth where I live.

I know what you mean ilovesooty. For cosy and snuggly I read claustrophobic. I want light and airy. I don’t want to be encumbered by thick jumpers, coats and boots. I want to move freely in light summer clothes without feeling cold. It doesn’t have to be very hot, just warm enough for a T-shirt.

“Are the differentiation's down to whether we are by nature hot or cold blooded?”

WeWantSweet I think that might be one of the differences. Also you need to factor in where people live, their lifestyles, their weight and any medical conditions. I imagine that being overweight or heavily pregnant with a commute to a stuffy office on the tube in London while suffering from a medical condition that means you can’t tolerate heat in last year’s heatwave must have been a nightmare. Compare this with someone who lives in Scotland for example, drives to an office with aircon in a car with aircon, and isn’t overweight/pregnant and has no medical conditions that can’t tolerate the heat. These two worlds are miles apart.

We have some Australian friends who came over to the UK and spent several weeks touring around the country. Bearing in mind that they came in summer, their overriding impression was of grey skies, rain and generally miserable weather for whole period of their trip. They were almost apologetic for finding it so depressing. Far happier to talk about the following fortnight they spent in Italy.

I am so ready for summer, sunshine and hot temperatures!!
I’ve got a toddler who loves being outside and we long for days at the park, beach, farm and riverside instead of yet another weekend in soft play!
We’ve got a few days holiday booked in Yorkshire and the Lakes which will be miserable if it rains non stop.

I got that wrong. I meant to say that it isn't even warm either.

I love the heat. When others are sweating and exhausted I'm bouncing around full of energy. I like full on dry heat. I'd be happy living in Arizona. My skin feels better and looks healthier, my hair becomes softer and less frizzy, and I feel healthier.

In damp weather my skin and hair is dry, my joints ache and I feel tired.

I believe there is a genetic predisposition that plays a part in it. I am also apt to think that diet is another area in which this plays a part. I do not feel healthy eating traditional English food. Too many days of shepherds pie, pies or roast dinners leaves me tired, sluggish, constipated, in pain and fit to fall over. So OPs assertion of there being a possible link between heat tolerance and genetic heritage might be quite true.

All this talk of there being 9 months of grey and rain is rubbish.

The point is that people resent the few days of true summer that we get. They have at least 9 months of not-summer to enjoy, they should remember that for the few months we do get summer.

Summers like that are going to become the norm thanks to climate change, so you will get your way.

See that’s a stupid comment. It wasn’t climate change that made the weather hot last year. It was actual “summer”. It lasted a few weeks and then went away. It used to be hotter than that back in the 70’s and 80’s (so I’ve heard), because we had actual seasons. Climate change is causing seasons to meld into one. Don’t be Trumpesque.

I really dont like heatwaves(not very British are they!).But equally this is a very disappointing summer TBH. A light breeze ,sunny skies and a chance to wear summer clothes . is what I want !Not even slightly warm ATM!

YABU

I don’t cope great in heat but constant fucking rain is so depressing and miserable. If it gets too hot I can just stay indoors or potter around in my air conditioned car and at least get the benefit of the sunshine.

See that’s a stupid comment. It wasn’t climate change that made the weather hot last year. It was actual “summer

Don't be a moron. All of the hottest summers on record bar one have happened since 2003. Do you really think that's got nothing to do with climate change?

It's not supposed to be 30+ degrees for weeks on end in England.

it. I am also apt to think that diet is another area in which this plays a part. I do not feel healthy eating traditional English food. Too many days of shepherds pie, pies or roast dinners leaves me tired, sluggish, constipated, in pain and fit to fall over.

I don't eat any of the things you've just described. By and large I eat a Mediterranean diet and I still don't like hot weather.

Well put Tapas
One thing we can't do anything about is the weather
But why wish for rain and miserable weather in the summer spoiling so many activities and UK holidays for many families
I love the long days not to keen on really hot temperature but better than the recent deluge of rain we have had
As for cosy autumn and winter my arse hate having to put layers of clothing on and being dark before early evening

DappledThings you must live in a part of the country that is dryer and brighter than where I live. The default here (Pennine South Yorkshire) really is cool, grey and damp for most of the year.

Part of it is attitude tbh. We as a family are outside in all weathers. Rain doesn't mean we have to stay indoors all weekend at soft play (bloody hate soft play, we never go).

So what caused the hot weather in the past? Or the snow falls?

I’m not saying there is no such thing as global warming or climate change, because there definitely is. Overall, temperatures are higher. But you can’t blame a few weeks of hot weather during summer on global warming.

I never really get why people, on both sides of this, are so keen to turn this into a moral issue. Some people like hot weather, some don't. It doesn't mean that the people who like it are somehow a bit weak and pathetic, or that people who don't are miserable and antisocial. It's just a preference over temperature.

To prefer a summer of rain to summer heatwave if we have to choose between the extremes

So in other words winter.

I want to know how you get anything done in the pelting rain.

Even when it is not raining the sky is grey. Atm I can see a bit of blue sky peeping out from behind some grey clouds.

It is still wet from yesterday’s down pour and before that dries up it will rain again.

Grass is waist high as the only decent bit of dry weather was when we were away. Since we have got back there hasn’t been a few days of dry weather to dry it out so I can mow it.

But you can’t blame a few weeks of hot weather during summer on global warming.

Last summer was not a few weeks of hot weather. Last summer was, from June to August in the south east, consistently no rain at all, blazing sunshine in the high twenties to mid thirties. That is not normal for England. That is not our climate.