To not understand the constant panic

[Panicnomore]

I'm finding it so incredulous to see the level of panic and hysteria on here about a 2 day heatwave.
Posters seem to be hyping each other up. Can humans no longer cope with anything outside of their comfort zone?

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and honestly couldn't give a shit, so many worse things going on in the world. I'll be sat in my paddling pool and having cold showers for 2 days. We will cope

Again, Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. But yeah, it's all great

@mummalog love your comment, so accurate 🤣

I remember as a kid I the 80s the asphalt bubbling so I could twirl a stick in it and play pop the bubble

i think people are being insane about the temperature. Yes it’ll be hot but 99.99% of us have nothing to worry about. I swear half the people whinging are the ones who go on holiday and roast on a sunbed at 40 degrees for two weeks.

Also the people saying they don’t know how they can possibly cope working in the heat - get a bleeding grip.

Which is great. As long as you aren't in work in a windowless office, dealing with kids with heat exhaustion (because we aren't closing unless we are ordered to), then having to wait for a bus that might not turn up because its overheated or the road has melted in full sun in the hottest part of the day to (hopefully) get home again. Whilst aged 50 and have never been able to tolerate heat.

This -again and again.

No one wants to “froth” (ffs, I hoped we’d lost that word after covid).

I would rather be grateful for the updates/warnings - so as to try to ensure that vulnerable relatives and neighbours are aware of best ways to keep cool etc.

It might only be for 2 days, but that’s almost beside the point.

It’s not just the fact that our infrastructure isn’t designed for this heat. I think the bigger risk is from the fact that we don’t respect this heat. It’s going to be a novelty for some, which will likely end in sunburn/heatstroke. An increase in those that get into difficulty in water - sea, lakes or rivers.

Then there are the more vulnerable, too many scenarios to try to mention.

UK infrastructure/life/housing has not been designed to deal with these temperatures. Yes, it might only be for 2 days (at these high readings), but they are going to follow a fairly hot spell over the last week or so.

Throwing out comparisons to other countries and climates is pointless.

Another sensible post.

Again, Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. But yeah, it's all great

That has nothing whatsoever to do with a couple of hot days ffs!!! It is much easier to get burnt in that part of the world than it is in the UK, and yet I don't hear any Australians running around having histrionics because of it - so what is your actual point?

People do die in heatwaves though. Heart attacks are much more prevalent and anyone with health conditions (and that’s a lot of people), elderly or very young are at risk too. The reason you didn’t “notice” people dying is because the statistics come out much later on. It isn’t so obviously measurable as someone getting hit by a tree in a storm.

It's not a heatwave it's two days abs people with health conditions can make provisions for two days. Normal life won't happen for two days!

A heatwave will last weeks and then people have to go out and shop etc but no one needs to go out for 48 hours if they do t want too!

A heatwave will last weeks and then people have to go out and shop etc but no one needs to go out for 48 hours if they do t want too!

I get your sentiment but many people (with health issues) really do have to go out, med appointments, work and not everyone can afford some of the coping measures mentioned.

I feel sorry for the increasing numbers of healthcare workers who have wear masks/PPE, heavy scrubs etc and dont have the luxury of working in AC wards etc.

So what do you suggest then? For 48 hours?

We can only make suggestions that people make adjustments to manage the heat.

No amount of hysteria is going to help.

Just sensible suggestions.

I have, I lived in Australia and my house didn’t have air conditioning. There was only one time when we had a spell of 40C days though. It is quite something, hard to explain how uncomfortable it really is. Everybody went to work as normal though, I preferred being at work as at least the office was air conditioned as is the public transport I used to get there.

The nights were the worst, hard to sleep when it is still 32C at 2am! I am not in anyway “panicking”, but I am not looking forward to it and I have an idea what to expect.

I think we still have to try and hold space for those who WILL be in danger here though. I've seen lots of people feeling shame because they've been put into the same bracket as people the op is complaining about.when even for 2 days they are ok to feel slightly terrified.
.lets not lose sight of that because we disagree with the panic.
For some with vulnerabilities it isn't about making provisions,getting cooler.if the temp goes too high no matter what they do their bodies cannot regulate temp.no amount of provisions in place can help them.their bodies just can't cope.and it can be awful and fatal.
Also those with mental illness and non nt it can feel impossible and scary.

The schools closing thread. Whole thing really hacks me off. It's going to get hotter every summer. Are we going to close things repeatedly? Stupid.

I'm not working Monday (rest day). I'll just stay indoors with the windows open, drink lots of water and wear loose clothing. I don't have a garden. There's a communal space but it isn't shady until the evening. I suppose my local park will be busy with lots of folks sitting under trees.

My very fluffy cat will suffer. I've got to look after her a bit.

For reasons I don't understand, the teenager is refusing to wear a hat at school. She has fair skin. She says suncream and water is enough. I am her parent, but she refuses to listen. She says she looks crap in a hat. I say it's for her own safety. Its a constant battle.

Husband is a postal worker and will be out working in it. No concessions. There's no legal upper temperature whereby employees are entitled to stop work.

I think in certain circumstances the warnings are justified. I've spent time in Italy under a 41°C heat. The locals got up early, did what they needed to do, went inside for the hottest part of the day, then came out again after 5pm. I followed their example. But many people aren't that sensible. They won't take precautions and will risk themselves. The warnings are for the silly people. The ones who think they know better including my daughter .

It was exactly the same with Covid on here.

The safest thing to do is stay indoors. No one should be sitting in their garden or a park when it's 40 degrees. Only open the windows for an hour very early in the morning or late at night if it's a little cooler. Keep all your curtains or blinds closed all day. Metal dish of iced water in front of a fan for aircon. Stack of damp flannels stored in the fridge for instant cooling.

Thankfully the school said this it will become more likely and we are looking at ways to deal with ut

Rather than just shut

It’s a bad legacy from last few years that shutting is done easily even when not recommended

I wish the hysterical people would show the same level of concern to NHS staff, where we don’t have AC, wards are regularly 25-27degrees without a heatwave, we have to wear a thick uniform and don’t have the luxury of demanding days off!

A relative in Australia does an outdoor job. They are not allowed to work if it reaches 40°.
In some ways I'm not surprised the UK doesn't have a similar rule because its never happened before.

@bellac11

Have they restored from teaching in Spain? Are any of them Spanish?
Do you have anything but that one anecdote to prove (apparently) that people in Spain treat high temperatures no differently to how we do in Britain?

Because that is not my experience nor is it at all true. In the Summer everything shifts to early morning or evening so that people can cope with the temperature. And they definitely look down on the stupid English who go out in the heat of the day to bake themselves red. Hence the new rules about drinking limits and cover up in tourist parts of Spain and Italy.

From wicki

@heattreat I think you should look up the definition of heat wave, it's three days not weeks, and it's geographically dependant.

There is a COBRA meeting about the heat wave. What will the outcome be?

Wash your hands and wear Suncream and a hat while singing the sun has hot its hat on. Despite being inside.