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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be terrified of the coming summer?

970 replies

screamingbanshees · 10/02/2023 07:49

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Userusing1 · 10/02/2023 09:20

Anyone getting a portable AC, make sure you have room to store it when not in use, they are heavy so not something you want to lug up and down stairs, we keep ours in the spare room upstairs but as they are quite big it's not something you can just tuck away. If we got one for downstairs we would probably keep it in the garage.

mybunniesandme · 10/02/2023 09:21

"Terrified" is a bit of an over reaction 🙄

screamingbanshees · 10/02/2023 09:21

Just to clarify, for people who think I am being dramatic; global warming is the main concern here. It is not just this summer I am worried about, but all of them.

Comparing my dread of heat to the Turkey/Syria earthquakes or people who can't afford their energy bills is pointless and goady, by the way. People are allowed to struggle with their own issues while another crisis is happening.

OP posts:
NameNotRelevant · 10/02/2023 09:21

I can’t wait until summer, flip flops, light summer dresses, wild swimming, eating in the garden and feeling the sun on my face, light nights, watching the garden bloom and warmth. You’re being overly dramatic OP. Stop over dramatising things, the media like to hype this shit up.

lovescats3 · 10/02/2023 09:21

It might not even happen again? Wake up - climate change is already here

lovescats3 · 10/02/2023 09:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Wishawisha · 10/02/2023 09:22

I’m in the SE. The heat was only bad for a few days but it was the unrelenting dryness that bothered me. It literally didn’t rain for months and the garden looked like a desert. I’m hoping we don’t have the same drought this year, but I can’t say I’m giving too much thought to it in February. I’m excited for Spring - pleasant weather, garden looking nice..

bellinisurge · 10/02/2023 09:23

Not terrified. But twitchy. Holidaying in Northern climate and hope for the best.

Youreeavinalaff · 10/02/2023 09:23

It was awful and the high temperatures went on for weeks and I'm in the north east! We're in a modern well insulated home which is great in the winter, but it not so much in very hot weather. I even developed heat exhaustion which was actually very scary. Initially thought it was covid due to horrendous headache and pains. You need to drink water and get some salts in you before it turns to heatstroke. I found a fan that is quiet enough to sleep with on so hopefully that'll help this year, but if this trend for extreme heat continues then air conditioning may become the norm, which isn't great as that will contribute to climate change as well. I won't book European breaks in July-August now as I found it too much last year, although they do have aircon which helps. Going out in 40+ degrees is no fun though.

Lentilweaver · 10/02/2023 09:23

NameNotRelevant · 10/02/2023 09:21

I can’t wait until summer, flip flops, light summer dresses, wild swimming, eating in the garden and feeling the sun on my face, light nights, watching the garden bloom and warmth. You’re being overly dramatic OP. Stop over dramatising things, the media like to hype this shit up.

I don't have a garden so maybe that makes a difference:) I do like the light nights though.

Eyerollcentral · 10/02/2023 09:24

Testina · 10/02/2023 09:16

It all seems a bit over dramatic.
Posting European heatwave death numbers seems disingenuous to me, and as a PP said, you didn’t look at the displacement.
I don’t doubt that you didn’t enjoy it, but it really wasn’t for long so “terrified” just seems to be silly. You’ll sweat, but you’ll live. And a week after that you can be terrified about winter temperature and fuel prices.

I have to say I feel the same but then we did not have the same weather in the north of Ireland last summer! I do LOVE heat, so people being terrified of it and worrying about it really is alien to me. And yes I have lived and worked in hot countries. After a couple of days you can usually get used to it and learn hope to cope with it. I do feel a lot of people catastrophise about weather. How many extreme weather warnings have there been over the last few years that have come to nowt. Plus especially as it’s the summer and there is f all of note happening politically and usually diplomatically the media are salivating at the mercury rising as it gives them something to report, which then works people up more. If it’s the same as last summer, surely you’ll know what is coming?

AstroTurd · 10/02/2023 09:24

I love hot weather and am hoping for lots of it (though will probably be disappointed, as I'm in the north of England). It's winter that I loathe. I'dl trade a bit of global warming for being basically able to live outside in the sun for several months of the year.

HellsCominWithMe · 10/02/2023 09:24

its acclimatising to it. It can take a week or more for some people to get used to the heat, drinking enough, making sure they eat the right foods (enough salts for example) and for them to not be sweating profusely.

You also can’t do what they do on the Middle East/hot countries. avoid the hottest part of the day. Many of us still had to do the school run at 3pm which was excruciating.

plus you must’ve forgot we had a 20 Celsius increase in average Temperatures in some areas followed by a 20 Celsius drop.

where I am it was 15 Celsius drop once the heatwave ended and I spent a couple of nights shivering because I’d gotten used to the temperature and felt cold in the days after.

it was impossible to really do very much past 10am and I was getting up at 4am to do things like water the veg. I had to set up shade over my garden veg for the first time ever. Taking glass panes out of my greenhouse roof so tomatoes didn’t cook. So that was fun.

it was got an unbearable on the southwest coast but I’m fortunate enough to not have to do a normal work schedule. This year I have to and I’m wondering how I’ll manage.

Applesandcarrots · 10/02/2023 09:24

MintyFreshOne · 10/02/2023 09:20

Tbh more elderly die from
December to February because humans are not well adapted to cold, believe it or not.

Death rates in summer are demonstrably lower, although will be temporarily elevated during heat wave

I believe it. Absolutely.

RampantIvy · 10/02/2023 09:25

I live in the south east and oh my god it was another level , weeks and weeks of soaring temperatures!

Because it wasn't like that everywhere. We don't all live in Essex.
I'm in South Yorkshire and we had two short periods of mid 30 temperature where the roads were melting. We didn't get as high as 40 degrees where I live. The rest of the summer was pretty much what I would describe as mostly lovely weather.

Our main problem was the lack of rain. The first image is of the plughole at Ladybower reservoir last October, the second is of the same plughole a month ago. The third image is of Ladybower in October.

To be terrified of the coming summer?
To be terrified of the coming summer?
To be terrified of the coming summer?
JessicaFletcherscrewnecksweater · 10/02/2023 09:25

Thighlengthboots · 10/02/2023 09:14

Ok- go ahead and spend your life in terror, thats your choice. But to me, that doesnt seem like a very pleasant or healthy way to live worrying about something that "might" happen. However, if you think thats a productive and helpful use of time then go ahead. By the way- stress/elevated cortisol severely affects the immune system and causes a whole host of other physical health problems so if you think terror wont affect you then think again.

I have a fear of butterflies. I cannot stand them. They completely freak me out. No amount of people telling me it’s a stupid thing to be afraid of, that they can’t hurt me yady yady yada, will change that.

Do you think telling the OP that her fear of a red hot unbearable summer is stupid because (using real examples):

Some old people can’t afford to heat their homes.

Summer is lovely.

She can move to Scotland.

She can just buy and install an aircon system…

is going to make her say, “oh, you’re quite right. My anxiety was entirely misplaced. All sorted.”

RingRingRingGoesTheTelephone · 10/02/2023 09:26

screamingbanshees · 10/02/2023 08:22

Good to know it isn't just me! Everyone on this thread seems to believe I'm mentally unwell for dreading it.

I'm not in the South, I'm actually in Liverpool, which can get horribly hot for where we are. I think people are forgetting that while the temperatures were not "extreme" most of the time, the humidity made it a lot worse and the "feels like" temperature was a lot higher. And it was not just five days. Hmm

🤣🤣🤣🤣 you're in Liverpool??? Honestly? 😆. I live not a million miles away, I know there was a short lived heatwave when we were on holiday (it was topping 43+ where we were in the south of france) but I don't recall anyone back home saying it was awful, mostly people just thrilled there was a bit of summer. I do hope it's 30 everyday this year and we can enjoy days in the paddling pool and evenings in the garden, best time of year!

MockneyReject · 10/02/2023 09:26

mmi · 10/02/2023 08:51

I find cold much harder to manage

Layering up doesn't work. It doesn't warm me.

Cold sets off my arthritis and I ache. Every movement hurts

I'm awaiting hip replacements and I'm terrified of falling in the ice

I'd rather have heat.

See, I feel the opposite, for similar reasons.
I'm also waiting for a hip replacement, as well as both knees.
Last summer, I was wearing elastic/Spanx style shorts, two sizes too small, to support my hips and thick, tight knee supports, underneath black work trousers and polyester tunic. Plus, a layer of plastic PPE on top.and a face mask. I do home care, so it's physical work. My (black) car was like an oven, every time I had to get in it, between visits. I limit drinks during the day, because I have to time toilet breaks for when I'm somewhere with a cleanish toilet, that the client is happy for me to use. Many of my visits are to sheltered blocks of flats, where bills are included - one gentleman has the heating on full, all year round, but opens a window in summer.
My brothers are manual labourers, so outside all day, doing physical work, sometimes up on a roof. I worry about skin cancer.

Last year was, without a doubt, worse than usual.
I'm not dreading it, yet, but I totally get why the OP is.

I'm lucky that my house is open plan, so downstairs is cold, all year round. Those in flats with no outdoor space, or back to back terraces, with no through draft, have it worse.

I felt like I was just wishing the days away, last summer, just getting though each day at work, then sitting still, indoors, in between. Too hot for DS to play outside. Too tired from not sleeping - boiler and hot water tank are both in my very small bedroom. Oh, and the stream outside dried up, and turned into thick, cracked mud, which stank, and caused to flies coming in through any open windows.

My point is, that heat like we had last year, affects some more than other. And, yes, to the PP who sneerily dismissed the 'financial' aspect - those in sub par housing and manual jobs are likely to be the less well off, aren't they?

Abreezeitheglade · 10/02/2023 09:27

Op do you live in a house or flat?
I read a really interesting article about cooling houses but can’t find it now. The gist of it was to paint it white, grow small tree, shrubs and reduce areas of paving/drives and have a small body of water ie a pond.
I don’t know why you are being sneered at England had a fucking wildfire last year and any Australian will tell you they’re terrified by them. Both us and one neighbour have create ponds to try and stop this as we are in a high risk area.

JessicaFletcherscrewnecksweater · 10/02/2023 09:27

It seems that the sun worshipers on here seem to be a bit triggered by someone saying they hate these horrendously hot summers.

HollyMollyPolly · 10/02/2023 09:27

LeapingCat
OP, climate change is terrifying and it’s fine to acknowledge that. One of the reasons I moved back to the U.K. was extremes of weather further south in Europe were already starting to get too much.

Yes, climate change is terrifying. But OP seems more concerned about her direct personal experience of hot weather.
Also, referring to the weather we had last summer, that many of us in the UK enjoyed, doesn't necessarily provoke the visceral reaction of fear.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 10/02/2023 09:27

lovescats3 · 10/02/2023 09:21

It might not even happen again? Wake up - climate change is already here

I know that Hmm

But what is OP going to achieve by stressing out about it now? It won't change the outcome and you can't guarantee it'll be that hot this summer either.

Yes, temperatures are rising but that's part of an overall pattern - it doesn't mean each summer will definitely be hotter than the last.

Eyerollcentral · 10/02/2023 09:27

screamingbanshees · 10/02/2023 09:21

Just to clarify, for people who think I am being dramatic; global warming is the main concern here. It is not just this summer I am worried about, but all of them.

Comparing my dread of heat to the Turkey/Syria earthquakes or people who can't afford their energy bills is pointless and goady, by the way. People are allowed to struggle with their own issues while another crisis is happening.

In fairness the concern about global warming didn’t come across in your previous posts, at all. At the end of the day there is no point worrying about global warming on an individual level, better to do what you can to minimise your impact on the environment. Would it help you to frame it like that?

Treeeeeeee · 10/02/2023 09:27

You lost me by referencing Wikipedia 🤣

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 10/02/2023 09:29

JessicaFletcherscrewnecksweater · 10/02/2023 09:27

It seems that the sun worshipers on here seem to be a bit triggered by someone saying they hate these horrendously hot summers.

I'm far from a sun worshipper and I actually have to shut my business if it gets too hot on welfare grounds.

I still don't see the benefit of winding everyone up into a frenzy 🤷🏻‍♀️