To be terrified of the coming summer?

[screamingbanshees]

Last year there were 24,000+ heat-related deaths due to the heatwave, and the temperatures here were astronomical. It was the worst summer I've ever experienced, sweating constantly, sticking to every surface, always dehydrated, warm water coming out the cold tap, and sweating as soon as I stepped out of the bath. I also had a very unhappy, sweaty, screamy 1.5 year old!

AIBU to be absolutely dreading this year? Apparently the Met Office has claimed 2023 will have an even hotter summer. I don't know if I can bear it again. DP and I are thinking of booking a holiday just to be somewhere liveable. This is also the first winter I've actually enjoyed because of the relief from the heat.

It'll probably drizzle all summer now op 🤷🏽‍♀️

Also, of the 24,000 heat related deaths, how many were actually stupidity-related?
Eg went swimming in unsafe waters etc?

I feel like that a bit. I'd move to Scotland if I could - seriously. I just hope the week holiday near Aviemore I've booked is during a heatwave elsewhere!

YANBU OP. Last summer felt threatening in my part of the south. It wasn’t just the heat it was the duration of the period without rain. Trees and shrubs were dying. We couldn’t grow food properly because we ran out of water and it was so hot the beds kept drying out. Everywhere stank of dog piss. We’ve got air con and I’m glad we do though I felt bad about using it.

Like a farthingale but from the neck? 😁

While I understand what you're saying, you're missing the point people are making. They're not suffering and becoming unwell in heatwaves because they're not dressing appropriately, or keeping their windows and blinds open.

This is the difference between some people being uncomfortable in hot weather and extremes of temperature making people (and animals) unwell.

😂

While I understand what you're saying, you're missing the point people are making. They're not suffering and becoming unwell in heatwaves because they're not dressing appropriately, or keeping their windows and blinds open.

This is the difference between some people being uncomfortable in hot weather and extremes of temperature making people (and animals) unwell.

So many people on here are not understanding this at all. With the heat we had here last year, not only did we have scorching hot days, but we also had hot nights. So not only were people feeling wretched during the day, they were struggling to sleep at night and lack of sleep made them feel even worse.
Given some of the extreme temperatures, not amount of opening/closing of windows or curtains or wearing floaty clothing was going to make people feel less unwell.

Smart Alec ...

While I understand what you're saying, you're missing the point people are making. They're not suffering and becoming unwell in heatwaves because they're not dressing appropriately, or keeping their windows and blinds open.
This is the difference between some people being uncomfortable in hot weather and extremes of temperature making people (and animals) unwell.

For goodness sake, you are living in the UK!! I know you had a few hot days last year, but surely it is not the first time you have had hot weather? You will either have to learn to adapt, or move somewhere else. Many countries have hot weather on a far more regular basis than the UK and people seem to cope. Where I live it's not uncommon to have temps in the mid-30s, but the odd time we have had temps up to 40o I haven't heard anyone carrying on the way posters on MN are. Animals also seem to cope.

Many countries have hot weather on a far more regular basis than the UK and people seem to cope

🤦🏻‍♀️ The key phrase here is "on a far more regular basis". Are you really unable to grasp that people find it difficult to cope with temperatures well above what they country is used to and what people are prepared for?

And no, animals didn't "cope". Not without intervention from humans. I mean, how well do you think polar bears would cope if you exposed them to very hot weather? That's an extreme example but the point stands.

Where I live it's not uncommon to have temps in the mid-30s

That is totally irrelevant because here it is not common and thus we are not set up to cope with temperatures above that.

www.timeanddate.com/weather/uk/manchester/historic?month=7&year=2022

Here is July 2022 temps for Manchester. Aside from the odd heatwave day I mentioned, I would describe it as mild and damp.

Currently looking out of my window at thick, freezing fog. Not the bright sunshine the Met Office predicted yesterday. Im very doubtful that they can predict a hot summer.

Really helpful link tiredandlate I checked for London July 2022 and at times it shows sun with a high of 29 and at night (struggling to sleep) a low of 18 and once our house heats up it takes time to cool down again

Try not to lose your sh*t, it's not healthy.

You're still missing the point.

TBH a lot of the dresses Cos do look like tepees...!

But yes, I agree, the sensible thing is to either cover up in the sun or go strappy and stick to the shade.

The whole county was not the same as Manchester.

In some parts of the country there was no rain for weeks on end, there were hosepipe bans and wild fires and temperatures were also higher and lasted longer. There were periods of higher than usual temperatures from June though to the start of September. Our whole infrastructure is not set up for such extremes of temperature. 2022 was one of the hottest summers on record and the highest ever recorded daily temperature was reached on at least two occasions. Whilst Manchester may have been mild and damp, not everywhere was.

There were a few horribly hot days where I live in East Anglia. I'm not particularly good in the heat, fair skinned,ginger and elderly. We don't have ac and it was uncomfortable at night. It was only a few days though. I carried on,went to work etc, kept in the shade,loved the evenings and very! early mornings.My cats slept in the shady bits of my scruffy garden. One of them was quite ill with kidney disease and I was coaxing her with endless tasty snacks and bowls of cold water.
It was difficult at times,but the cats and I say bring it on,we will take care out there, we need some sun.

Years ago I lived in Manchester for a few years.

I concluded Manchester has 3 weather conditions, Raining, about to rain and just rained

Damp just about sums Manchester up.

I did read that it was chosen as the centre for the cotton or silk industry (can’t remember which) because the damp air meant the cotton or silk in its raw form didn’t stick together when they were turning the product into thread

It was a great town but couldn’t live there for long. It was either grey rain filled skies or blue skies after a massive shower and everything was wet

I missed being able to go and sit in Hyde Park without a jumper in the height of summer

When I said "far more regular basis" I didn't actually mean every day in summer is hot. We have had temps in the late teens this week.

As for animals, what have polar bears got to do with it? We are talking about a few hot days, and I wasn't aware the UK was full of animals who dwell in only arctic like temps. Other than some forms of wildlife I image you have pretty much the same animals in the UK as we do here.

As for it being not common to have temps in the mid-30s, then why is it on an almost yearly basis we hear on the news here that it has been "hot" in the UK - and this has been going on for years (not every year, but often enough).

We are no more set up to cope with hot temps here than you are - other than air con becoming more common, but there are still many, many, people who don't have it. People complain about the heat, of course they do, but they just get on with life, do what they can to mitigate the effects and carry on as normal. We don't start the day early, or end the day early, or have siestas in the middle of the day. Never once have I heard anyone react the way MNers are on this, and other, threads.

The point I am trying to make is that with climate change upon us you are going to have to learn to deal with different weather, just as other people around the world will have to do. As I pointed out, you live in the UK, it is not actually that hot, but it seems to have been gradually getting hotter and yet so many on this thread seem to have lost the plot - and it isn't even summer yet, and you have no real way of knowing whether it will be hot or not. You will either have to adapt, or move someone colder - what else can you do?

The more time I spend on MN, the more the phrase "whinging poms" keeps going through my head.

I have not "lost my shit" I just can't stand people who constantly moan yet are unwilling to do anything to try to adapt. I don't live in what would be described as a hot country, but we do have hot days, and we just get on with it. Honestly, it is laughable that people on this thread are moaning about a few hot days (and watering bans, dry grass, fires - things which we deal with every summer here) while there are people living in other parts of the world which really are becoming almost uninhabitable. It seems to me the UK is full of delicate little flowers who simply can't cope with life!

I know. I stated upthread, along with a few others that last summer wasn't that hot. Others on the thread have said we are wrong and mis remembering or being obtuse. I wanted to check I hadn't forgotten glorious summer..

Liverpool isn't in the south either..

Haha this is very true.

I remember it being overcast and just about t-shirt weather last year. This thread had me thinking I was crazy.

Yes, move up north! We had 3 days of 30 degree hear and it was lovely!

The highest temperature recorded last year was in the Midlands. The east side of the country was generally hotter than the west side, so some of the south was not as hot as Yorkshire of the North East.

It all its however relative. Some folks thrive in the heat and others don’t and what is hot to one person, is not hot to another.

I think being terrified of another hot summer is a bit extreme, but I am not walking in the OPs shoes. However, I get that someone may not be looking forward to periods of heat that they find challenging, even if others don’t think it is that hot.

This is absolutely true.

Im in Sheffield and it kept showing up at 44 or 42 temperature. Bang in the middle but East facing. It was often the hottest area of the country.