To ask if this scoffing at the concern over the heatwave have changed their minds yet?

[DeadbeatYoda]

Just that really. I've just watched the news. The houses burning, the grass fires, the rail infrastructure buckling. Record temperatures in 29 locations today. Several areas exceeding 40 degrees. Do you still think it's 'hysteria' to take it seriously?

Covid is very different this time - I felt just as you described

Oh no I’m fine thanks but I thought it might be helpful for anyone in same situation in the future to know what to expect

I’m glad you’re ok now

That's a perfectly acceptable temperature then - mine is hotter now at 9pm although no one on my house minds. All I've seen is people complaining that it's different here than abroad as our houses can't cope and become unbearable sweat boxes in the space of 2 days of high temperatures so at least yours isn't one of them and if you were working then of course you'll be inside. We were all off so we've been out and about (with the exception of the dog for the hotter parts of the day)

I think this is partly a ‘cry wolf’ effect. The media are always screamingly hysterically about something. We can’t get worked up about all of it, we’d be gibbering wrecks!

If they just gave fair warning, it’d be much more sensible. It’s been 39° here and deeply unpleasant, but we made some fairly minor, boring and sensible preparations, and we’re through the worst with no ill effects.

Hysteria isn’t helpful. Eye rolling and carrying-on-regardless isn’t helpful. But a few sensible precautions and modifying behaviour where possible might just see us through. Someone tell the Mirror?

(Although I’m still not sure what to do for these elderly neighbours I’m supposed to check on. I’m happy to help, but do what, exactly?)

GrandRapids

I think it's hysterical given that it's only going to last a couple of days!

If it were weeks then yes, I could understand it.

Still not seeing the bigger picture then even after today?

I hope those building shelters and planning for the end of days feel better soon.

And those who have lost their homes? Shame on you.

That poster specifically said ‘mitigate where you can/keep hydrated.’ Not ‘force your pets and relatives outside to die.’

That’s what people are saying. It’s not the idea that we should recognise it’s hot and be more careful that people were ‘scoffing’ at, it was the overreactions - perfectly healthy adults talking about being frightened to go to work or send kids to school, how everything should shut, all the things they’ll need to do to stay ‘safe’ etc. When for 90% of us all we really need to do was be careful, drink plenty, and stay out of the sun at the hotter parts of the day.

So today have had a cat with possible heat stroke, was very worried about him but he seems to have perked up with a fan over a bowl of ice pointed at him for a couple of hours and being wiped down with damp cool cloths. But we were seriously worried any him earlier. He still hasn't eaten but he is up and about now.
My partners train journey which is normally forty minutes took him over two hours because of trains being cancelled.
So this wasn't a good day for us. I would have loved to be outside under a shady tree but unfortunately my employment prevented this
I am taking climate change seriously but think there is way too much emphasis on what we as individuals can do when a lot of the problem is due to manufacturing and industry.

harvardpolitics.com/climate-change-responsibility/

Our loch was rammed today. I was working but it looked very inviting. Scotland so not blazing hot but still uncomfortably hot.

The bigger picture is irrelevant unless a stable, proactive committed governance is installed you will just be bleating into the (Saharan) wind.

Johnson did at least commit to a drive to address climate issues. I can’t see rishi or liz giving two squalid shits. Labour have zero to say about the environmental policies of the future. We are screwed. We can’t even begin to think about policy change without a leadership willing to nail themselves to the cause.

Parent from son's school lost her grandfather today who had dementia and wondered off, and was found dead not far from home 😔As soon as I heard he was missing I feared there was not going to be a happy ending in this weather.

I'm in London (North London) and didn't notice anything extraordinary we don't have on a usual hot summer day 🤷‍♀️ Cars and shops working fine. Life continued as usual. I do see from the news that some parts of London were badly hit though.

This afternoon we drove down to the nearest beach and I was surprised that there was no traffic and that the beach was pretty empty. So all in all, it was a nice day for us here.

What a bizarre comment

We have had 2 extreme days out of our summer, the reactions and hysteria about those 2 days is what people are referring to.

It wont be long until people make the usual summer jokes of 'that was our summer'.

And then it wont be long until people are complaining about the cold again and that 'our houses arent sufficient to hold heat in' when the fuel bills come.

But that doesnt negate or reduce the awareness or recognition that people have on climate change. Its just a comment on the inability of people to properly assess risk without descending into full scale panic over 2 days.

Im not sure why there are some posters, and you seem to be one of them judging by your comment, who are conflating disbelief in climate change with the desire not to panic over 2 days of extremity.

We had multiple tescos not selling any refrigerated produce. Shit fridges maybe? Didn't happen in sainsburys, Asda , Lidl or Aldi

I wonder if this is happening to me. Only 30 where I am today but extremely warm for me and I’m struggling, I have very poor temperature tolerance anyway. I’ve been feeling extremely dizzy with nausea, blurry vision, no appetite this evening. Currently lying down with a cold flannel!

That's really sad and sorry for her loss but it's unfortunately fairly common and see it a lot on my local Facebook page. The same outcome happens in winter and round here in any weathers as there are lots of bodies of water. More of a social care problem than a weather one unfortunately

Pretty much my thoughts. Very uncomfortable in my case as my truck was 44° in the cab when stationary (a/c not working) meaning I couldn't even cool down after being outside in the blazing sun in safety trousers/hardhat.

The sweat was running down my back/forehead and my inner thighs were chafing but at no point did I earnestly fear for my safety.

I wonder if people remember to eat enough salt. Too much water and then loads of sweating will see you lose salt.

Interesting - so should you eat/give kids some salty food like salted peanuts or something? Or would just cooking with salt be ok and enough salt?

I happened to have CNN on at lunchtime. The field reporter was trying to explain to the presenters why "what would be a cool summer day in Arizona" was a problem for the UK.

(Have just googled Arizona temperature, looks like she's literally correct, the 7 days Google show have 5 out of 7 with higher temperatures, 43 to 46 degrees. The two cool days are 38 degrees.)

Actually it 6 out of 8 that are hotter.

Nobody ‘locked themselves in in the dark’ That’s hysteria. Attaching over-emotional language to moderate actions.

I did shut the curtains on the sunny side of the house to stop the sun coming in. It would have been utterly ridiculous not to! The sun was bloody hot! I opened them once the sun went round to the side. I didn’t lock the doors, because that would make fuck all difference and implies I felt the sun was a security threat. Which is silly. It was 28° in my sitting room and 39° in my garden. It wasn’t ‘Coooler in the shade somewhere’. The heat was blasting off the patio pavers, even in the shade and the wind was hot. I don’t know where you are, but it was very unpleasant here, and to imply people are fearful and ridicule a very minor variation in behaviour is unhelpful to say the least. Just because I’m not 95 and dying doesn’t mean I want to sleep in a 30° bedroom!

Thank you for this sensible point. @bellac11

It isn't 1976, that went on for ages, but I wouldn't like to go through the last couple of days again (although most of tomorrow looks the same in my area). My husband has major mobility problems, is very unwell and his health is described as "fragile" at the best of times. I really feel for people who haven't got someone looking after them 24/7, because it is very easy to deteriorate extremely quickly if the balance is tipped by a situation like this week.

A lot of the scoffers have an “I’m All Right Jack” attitude - they won’t care until they or their immediate family are affected.

I think its really difficult to gauge, particularly with children as they dont particularly sweat too much dependent on age (not teens obviously). I was more referring to adults to be honest. There is salt in most of our home grown foods, so today for example Ive had bread, cheese, salad with dressing and anchovies and some fruit, thats got salt in it and I didnt add any extra. But for people who might cut back too far they need to be careful