To think people don’t seem to understand how hot it is predicted to be next week?

[Toohot22]

On threads expressing concern re the heat, people keep saying ‘what do you think they do in hotter countries’?

According to my BBC weather app, next Monday and Tuesdays predictions are:

35 in Lahore, Pakistan
32/33 degrees in Miami, Florida
33 and 32 degrees in Kingston, Jamaica
29 degrees in Mali (which is the worlds hottest country, apparently!)
30 in the Maldives
38 and 35 in Spain.

The current predictions for me are 36 and 37 degrees.

AIBU to think some posters don’t realise we are talking about temperatures hotter than some of the hottest countries in the world!?

I’ve been in the Middle East when it’s hit high 40s and 52 degrees one day.

Turkey is regularly in the 40s.

YABU for picking some random countries and claiming the Uk is hotter, whilst ignoring many other hotter countries.

I am dreading it, primary school kids are meant to be having their summer concert at 1.30pm on the school field Tuesday - absolutely crazy imo, if I can wfh Monday & Tuesday I'll keep them home with me

@Tumbleweed101
In London at 9am its going to be 28 on Tuesday

No child should be out in that

Hotter forecast for London than Orlando on Monday and Tuesday.

Add any humidity to those temps (which makes it hard to sweat effectively), or a lack of fresh air circulation (thinking of places like the tube), or lots of concrete and glass exacerbating the temps felt on the ground ... and no A/C in most homes because you've never needed it before ... that's dangerous.

Florida has A/C everywhere. Everywhere. Homes are built with central air the way British homes are built with central heating. That's how hot countries deal with their heat.

I've had one vacation in my adult life where it was around 37-40 C temps, 90% humidity, and no A/C in the house we stayed in. Going outside, even at the beach, felt like someone had turned a giant hairdryer: the sea breeze brought no relief.

That was the first time in my life I ever worried about heat stroke. That was the vacation where I was wetting washcloths and laying them on my sleeping baby, hoping an oscillating fan would help keep her cool.

100% there need to be air conditioned safe spaces to keep cool.

Isn't it something to do with blood being "thinner" or some such in hot countries?

Ignore this. I've just checked and it's a myth. Sorry!

Echoing everyone else who has experience of living with heat -

Windows and curtains closed early, before it gets hot.
Air the house out once it's cooled down at night, in the wee hours is best.
Internal doors closed to keep the cooler rooms cool.
Resist the temptation to vent warmer rooms into cooler rooms.
Prep and cook food at night where possible.
Think about the electronics which generate heat and use sensibly - TV, computers, washine machine, as well as cooker.

Listen to your body - siesta will come naturally in the hottest part of the day.
Drink lots of plain water. Caffeine and alcohol and sugary drinks don't really count towards hydration, and will make you feel worse.
Eat less during the day.

Wet cloths for cooling. On face, head, neck. Wet clothes to sleep in, wet sheet to sleep under. Hang wet sheets in rooms or at windows. Dry laundry naturally indoors. Let wet hair dry naturally.

If/when you go out, stay covered. Hat, sunglasses, long loose lightweight layers.

Replies are exasperated because lots of people do have experience of living with heat, of passing on good advice, and of being ignored.

I think people like OP don’t appreciate that it’s a tiny proportion of the country that’s going to be affected and a huge proportion that isn’t

British Columbia had a heat dome event in June 2021 for several days. Like most of Britain, it is temperate and homes and life are generally not set up for extreme temperatures. More than 600 people died due to the heat, mostly the elderly and vulnerable. Many of our forests were badly weakened, and there were mass death events of shellfish on the beaches that were exposed during low tide. Extreme heat in the wrong place is no joke and it's not like a hot day in the Med on holiday.

The UK is the 6th most humid country in Europe. This means that when temperatures soar we cannot sweat efficiently to cool down as the sweat just doesn't evaporate as the air is already water logged. Yes, countries like Spain, Greece etc are hotter, but they have white buildings, siestas during the hot hours, air conditioning! They don't have houses that are designed to hold in heat or a 9-5 working/school day and they have a dry heat that isn't as oppressive.

In the same way that people in Texas froze to death during a fairly average (for the UK) cold spell because their houses are designed to lose heat quickly, we will suffer next week as our houses hold the heat in.

I have a three story new build and energy efficient town house. Even in the winter my heating rarely clicks on. Two nights ago it was 28 Celsius and muggy in my daughters bedroom, and that was following best practice with regards to doors, curtains, windows being shut til the sun goes down. That is bordering on dangerous hot.

Can i ask a few of the australians on this thread why their country seems so much less adapted to the heat than many others that are hot. Lots of hot places do design their buildings round the heat and structure there day to take advantage of cool bits, but on any thread about heat lots of australian posters say they dont.

It's literally two days. The vast majority of people will cope ok - just drink shitloads and be sensible.

In the winter there is always the same 'we are not set up for this' when it is very windy/snowy/cold.

That's not to say I'm not shitting myself about climate change in general, because I am!

So sorry to hear this.

It's for 2 days.😂

Guess it wouldn't work for schools to swap break and lunch because of school dinners. DS's primary had 11am lunch and 1pm break so they weren't out for as long in the hottest part of the day.

I understand it's going to be hot. I just feel that instead of seeing it as an emergency we just need to deal with it. It's not just about closing windows but also what individuals do to care for themselves during these temperatures which is important. Having cool showers, making sure you drink enough and replacing electrolytes (milk is better at hydrating than water); obviously not going out in the middle of the day but moderate exercise helps to regulate body temperature; suncream and a hat. Wearing cotton clothes. I've sworn by this list for the past 15 years and it's

No. But oddly people are people whatever temperature they are living in.

No I’m dreading it. I know it’s only for two days but I don’t care, I’m a chicken & I’m scared about the temperature of the children’s bedrooms. It’s not going to easy to manage

🤣

This must be one of the worst threads ever!

YANBU but apparently we all just have to “get a grip” and “enjoy the sun”. Fuck that. Climate change is really worrying and these kinds of temperatures being seen as remotely attractive in Britain shows how many people have their heads in the sand in ignorance.

You are right.
As someone will come along and say 'Well, other hot countries cope". Yes they may well do because they are designed to. The UK is not. I am absolutely dreading it. Even today has been uncomfortable and it's 25C. Just want it all over.

Yes, all of this.

Even with central air, my parents almost never use their oven or stove in the summer. Lots of salads and outdoor BBQ, dinner prep starts around 6 pm when it's easier to be outdoors cooking.

I have lived in the UK all my life and non of my houses have ever been hot in summer because Ive always been smart enough to keep the windows and curtains closed (while other sneer yet complain their house is a 'heat trap').

The issue in this country is simply a lack of basic common sense.

I've lived in countries where it gets very hot in summer -above 40C, and we didn't have air con. I remember reading up on it at the time and apparently it takes the human body 3 weeks to adjust to increased temperatures.

So I think that's our problem ( apart from the whole issue of climate change of course). Weather is so changeable in the UK so our bodies don't get time to adjust, and the most vulnerable people suffer and can even die.

It's really hard to work in the heat if you are not used to it. I studied for a summer in a hot summer and they changed the working day to 7am-2pm in summer to accommodate the heat. We don't do this here.

It's been 14C in my part of the UK though today. Wish the temperatures could even out a bit!

Yes, those issues do happen in other parts of the world. Have you not heard about droughts and crops failures?

Maybe you struggle with understanding around climate change in general - clue is the word 'change' and the UK's rising temperatures. It has taken millions of years for the UK to evolve its ecosystem - it will get properly fucked up by the rate of change.

It is you who is ignorant on this topic.

I agree. Apparently we have to 'enjoy the heatwave' which I do find a bit weird given it is evidence of the climate chaos to come - things are going to be properly shit for our kids in 40 years' time.