To think it can't be that hot?

[Hop27]

I live in the tropics, we have long periods of hot weather. It's winter with us and it's 24 degrees. I'm in bed at the moment with long PJ's on. (At home sick) and will probably spend the day in leggings and a hoodie. Browsing through mumsnet, thread upon thread about how it's too hot to eat, to sleep, people canceling plans because of the heat! Even in the height of our summer (mid to high 30's) I don't think I've ever not made dinner or cancelled plans. AIBU to think it can't be that hot, or have I been away from the British summer for too long?

As some posters have said, it's not about us moaning about a spell of hot weather. It's about seeing the effects of climate change. Temperatures in the 30s are common in the south east now and this was not the case in the past. It's all very well having fans and aircon but, as a planet, we also need to reduce our energy consumption.

As for people calling in sick, it all depends on where you work. I'm lucky. I can work at home, although my office is air conditioned so I'd go in if I thought there would be no transport problems. Some buildings are so unsuited to these temperatures that it is almost as hot inside as it is outside.

I live abroad where we have very hot summers, but it's a dry heat and that makes the difference. I can't tolerate British humidity anymore because I've become acclimated to the air being so dry here.

Indeed. I am Australian but live in the UK. I have just been chatting to my parents who have said it was too cold to go out today even for their regular morning coffee.

It's 7 degrees.

I am finding it hot. It is the humidity and the fact the UK is not set up for heat like this. (Why would we be- proper heat happens every few years and today's projected heat has never been recorded. )

Wombat100 - exactly!

You prove the point that uk is not set up for heat- air con,ventilation, working hours, etc it's not that the British are less capable it's that's our environment is less manageable in heat

OP I live in a hot, Southern hemisphere country with mild winters. But I have been colder here in winter than I ever was in Britain, because houses here are not set up to deal with cold. Conversely, the heat in the UK will be harder to endure, because buildings are not designed for it.

Also, even in our hot climate, global warming has meant temperatures hotter than usual. And acclimatised to heat though we are, those hot days are hard to handle. So your 'what's the big deal?' rings a little hollow!

I kind of agree with you. I understand that it will be hot and uncomfortable but it is only two days. I also don't get the mass panic about cars suddenly breaking down. Are they made differently to the cars in other countries?? Is there a special factory that makes cars for the uk that says can't operate above 30 degrees but the cars for the rest of the world can.

I've clearly hit a nerve with how rude most people have been!

Posting a load of smug, goady bollocks will put people's back up.

What a stupid thread OP.

Poor OP sick in her bed thinking about nothing. Just go ahead and bury yourself in the sand as no one wants to hear your BS

Nah it's not just you op. Plenty of places in the uk are forecast 28-30 degrees, a normal summer day, but everyone's losing their fucking minds like it's the end of the world. It's going to be quite hot for literally 2 days.

Ummmm... you acclimatise to the heat👀

Did you consider you were being the rude on here OP?

This.

Also not everywhere will be 40. It rained in the SE last night which wasn’t forecast.
Weds will be back to rain and low 20’s.

Yes exactly this. The heat here is so uncomfortable. I don't know people who are panicking in real life but plenty are being realistic and sensible and moving about plans etc so they're aren't out during the ridiculously hot part- seems logical to me rather than anything else.

I have lived in “the tropics” twice, Caribbean and Australia. And it was not normal to have 40 degree temperatures in either location, hot and humid yes, high temperature no. It only happened once when I was in Australia (particular part of Australia I was in) and it really is quite different to early and even mid 30s.

In any case I had air conditioning in the Caribbean and in Australia I didn’t, but houses are not built to retain heat and it had good ventilation and caught sea breezes.

Your question have you been away from the British summer for too long, makes no sense. As we are not in a British summer, these temperatures are unprecedented.

@redsky21

Uk homes and buildings are not built for hot weather, they are designed to keep heat in.

Houses designed to keep heat in also keep cold in

Hot countries have completely different infrastructure, different working patterns, different lifestyle.

You just made that up, it is categorically untrue

Plus being a small island surrounded by water, our heat is very humid.

Another made up-ism. Check the charts, the humidity is very low.

So your homes and buildings aren’t that well set up for winter?

Imagine that this winter, while you’re all a bit chilly anyway, you’re forecast to get a cold snap that’s 20 degrees less than the national average for that point in the season. And with that pretty rapid temperature drop you’re also likely to get some really fairly disruptive infrastructural damage and risk to life because, where you are, you’re just not set up for it, people don’t understand it because cold snaps have never been this cold before, aren’t acclimatised to it, and it’s likely to make some of them pretty ill.

Now imagine that in the lead up to that and you feeling maybe mildly concerned about the next couple days, someone who lives in Norway pops up and cheerily says “I don’t know what you’re so bothered about! I get massive snow drifts and it drops to minus 15 here regularly! It’s got to be really cold for me to feel it!”

Now do you get it?

It isn’t scathing, it’s a rare grain of truth.

So far temperatures have been very warm, but not blistering.
I concur however that 35C+ is very uncomfortable unless you have aircon/pool

Hahaha you have ducted air con. Of course you don't get it. I live in Australia and it reaches the temperature the UK is getting quite regularly through summer but where I am we don't have as much humidity to add to it.

I don't have air con or any insulation in my home and it get bloody hot. I still always go to work, as I don't have a choice. This summer my colleagues aircon broke, she had been one of those "oh its not that warm" people until then. After she was telling me she thought she was getting heat stroke and that this summer was extreme and so much hotter than normal. I did feel for her because I could see she was struggling but I also had a small laugh to myself because she never had much empathy for me.

So yabu of course it feels extreme to people who are not from a hot climate, who have not had any real time to acclimatise and who's home are not set up for it heat.

Older cars or newer cars that haven't been maintained.

A few years back I remember driving on a dual carriageway when it was 26 degrees suddenly. Previous days temperatures had been around 20.

There were lots more cars than normal pulled up on the side of the road with engine problems.

I was shocked as the AA and RAC had warned about it but I didn't realise it is actually a thing.

@TheFridayRabbit what possible reason would I have for making any of this up 😂 please, do tell.

If my statements are all incorrect I suggest you contact BBC news, the Met Office and all the weather experts to tell them they are also wrong 🙄

Exactly. The uncertainty is a factor here because we are not accustomed to having 35+ degrees in this country regularly.

It’s just bs. Homes aren’t all one way or the other. Some homes are well built and others are shockers. Mine is an eco build so we use aircon for only about 12 weeks a year, 6 weeks in summer and 6 weeks in winter.

20° either way however is no big deal. While the UK has a reputation for being unable to handle anything more extreme than drizzle.

Just stop it. Some people can’t tolerate heat. I suffer from nosebleeds, migraines and nausea when the temperatures reach 30. Today the temperatures can reach 40 and I have to work, I can’t stay home “in my leggings” and make myself comfortable. I don’t know how to survive today.