To not understand what brits call good weather?

[Beatrixpotterspencil]

Usually it’s humid, really clammy, and often just a bit too hot.
So difficult to be active, feel refreshed, a lot of things.
The only thing the past weeks heat wave would be remotely good for is getting a tan/sunburn, surely?

I mean, it’s not the kind of ‘good’ weather you get in Cyprus, for example, this can just feel suffocating.
I must admit sometimes towards evening it’s quite lovely, a soft breeze, less oppressive.

Are we just a bit demented when it comes to sun, here? I know there’s a stereotype, but I do wonder why people call oppressive weather ‘beautiful’.

There a few in-betweens, so maybe people lap this up because it’s either that.....or rain.

What you think?

I work in a hospital and last week probably saw 150ish patients. Almost all of them come in and say “oh it’s lovely and cool in here”. Then it splits to about 80% “it’s awful outside/it’s far too hot today/I can’t bear this heat/it’s suffocating on the ward” and variations thereof and about 20% “it’s gorgeous outside” . I guess they enjoy the heat.

YANBU!

We have really good weather sometimes when it is sunny but there is a breeze. I wouldn't have thought that was typically British, most people like such weather.

My favourite weather is between 18 - 22 degrees, mainly sunny, a few clouds and a light breeze. Warm enough to sit outside in a tee shirt but not to hot to be active.

If I lived near to the coast I could take it a little hotter.

I don't like extremes either way .

YANBU at all. I hate it. DH insisted on going to sit out in the heatwave after work on Wednesday and then complained of feeling overly hot all night and had a pounding headache all day Thursday - well, if you will go and sit in 28-29 degree heat for hours, what do you expect?

I hide inside when the weather is like that. Expect if I have to work (dog walker) in which case I refuse to take the dogs out as it's far, far too dangerous, so we play in the garden/paddling pool instead!

It has been hot, oppressively so at times, but speaking as someone who has SAD, whether it is sunny or not has a massive effect on my mood so I'm just grateful for the sun.

I do get irrationally irritated by how sunny weather is always described as 'glorious', though. It's such a cliche (like 'treacherous' for icy weather).

I mean, it’s not the kind of ‘good’ weather you get in Cyprus, for example, this can just feel suffocating.

It's exactly the same weather but if you live in a country that's geared up for scorching hot sunshine, then it's easier to enjoy it.

My MIL is Spanish and it makes her smile when people say "Yes but it's a different kind of heat over there".

It really isn't, but they've normally just come back from a two week holiday by the sea

Given the amount of people who crammed themselves onto crowded beaches over the last few days of hot weather, I imagine that 'good' weather, for a lot of people, is weather that enables them to do just that; and enables them to get a sun tan.

For me 'good' weather would be warm with a very slight breeze. Not something we get enough of.

I love blue sky and sun, clouds really depress me. Mid to high 20s and a bit of a breeze is perfect. I probably should emigate...

I thought Cyprus was murdously hot, like 40 degrees for days on end, in summer. I'm glad not to live in that.

I like weather that lets me wear tank tops & shorts but not melt.

We had beautiful weather this April..Not at all too hot and much warmer than usual spring weather . I agree that hot summer periods recently in this country have been very muggy and hot alternating with wet but our spring weather can be beautiful when the rain is not too much.

We talk about the weather a lot, it's a basic conversation starter. It's fairly meaningless. Oh isn't it beautiful/ warm/ muggy/ drizzly/ looks like it's going to rain/ cold/ breezy etc etc etc

IME most people say WOW when it gets properly hot as it's so unusual and after about 2 days are complaining it's too hot

TBF lockdown is miles better when it's warm/hot and not wet, if you have a garden and esp if you have kids.

To recap - I don’t hate this weather, i am confused why many (not all) people in the UK call it ‘beautiful’. The sky is blue, not grey, with occasional fluffy white clouds. The colours of flowers are brighter and more vivid, the green of leaves is brighter, even the paintwork on houses looks better. Everything looks more beautiful in sunshine.

Oh and I agree that it isn't much different to abroad. Some of my family live in northern Italy . The climate there is incredibly humid and much much hotter for longer in the summer as well.as being much much colder in the winter . New York is the same .

Here it is generally milder and as they say, if you don't like the weather just wait a minute . In fact I think the variability is the problem. You need to acclimatise to very hot weather and it takes a couple of weeks for me to do that. So when we have a few days of very hot weather I feel quite tired and lethargic and hot but when we have had long periods like that( eg the summer we had a couple of years ago which was very hot for ages) I find I acclimatise and don't feel so hot and sweaty after 7-10 days of it in a row.

I am always just happy when it isn't raining - esp during lockdown which means we can get outside! See what you are saying OP, was too hot to do much at all this week!

I think it’s because we perceive our typical weather as drab and cold, so anything that isn’t we grab onto as being wonderful even if it’s actually oppressive and sweaty. It doesn’t happen often enough for our lifestyles and buildings to be designed around it (40 degrees in Cyprus sounds horrible but I bet their houses aren’t as hot as ours are during a ‘heatwave’ that’s much cooler and they won’t be out and about in the peak).

Our weather is so lacking in extremes (you have to be very unlucky for the weather or wildlife to kill you in this country compared to pretty much anywhere else!!) that when anything out of the ordinary happens we really aren’t set up to cope. We’re going to have to adapt as climate change kicks in and we get hotter and wetter.

Gales I think I need tougher, maybe Sourh African prairie type planting.

OP, you said Brit instead of British to 'simplify'?

I think a lot of people love the feeling of being that hot and think it's the perfect temperature.
The people I know who love being out in the sun as much as they can are the same ones who in the winter will wear fluffy pyjamas, a heavy dressing gown with the heating on and the fire lighting.
Their houses are way too hot for my liking!

I mean, it’s not the kind of ‘good’ weather you get in Cyprus, for example, this can just feel suffocating.

I take it you've not been to Cyprus in July. We have and that is what suffocating is all about.

We did have beautiful weather last week - I spent most days laying in a hammock in a warm garden but in the shade - kids in the paddling pool.
It was divine.
We also live near the beach so it was lovely there too - great sea breeze (and a good 20 metre distance between family's here - although that will change soon when the masses arrive) But, yes, it's been perfect for me But if I were working and in a city - not so great.

I agree, yesterday and Thursday were thoroughly unpleasant to be outside in. Having said that there's something cheering about bright blue sky and everything popping with colour in the sunshine. Greyness saps the life out of everything.

It is just as stifling in Cyprus (any other hot country) when it is hot. That’s why they go to the beach. That why we holiday at the beach. There is sea air that cools us down. Plus their homes are built to be comfortable in the heat and usually have aircon.

Try being active in any hot country city in the middle of summer and it will be awful.

strange comment, sounds like you've never lived abroad even though you probably have.

I love our temperate climate with its actual seasons, and especially the long summer evenings. Winter is a bit shit with tatmas but it has to be there to get summer.

some parts of the UK do have less pleasant climates, fortunately I was able to take that into account when deciding where to live.

@cardibach to be confused on occasions is human, we are all different. It doesn’t need overthinking, does it?