To think there must be something wrong with me because I absolutely can not tolerate the UK heatwaves - anyone else?

[Saywhatnowhey]

I am 53 and in perimenopause so that is not helping at all but I have always been like this.

As soon as summer hits and these heatwaves come out of nowhere I feel dreadful. I have never been able to tolerate either cold or hot weather at all, even when I was younger. As a child I preferred winter over summer so I could cover and layer up.

Where I live in the UK it is often the most hot and humid weather during the summer months and it makes me feel so physically unwell. I have some existing health issues but none that are related to temperature intolerance so no idea why I get like this. It's only 9.30am and I have already had to sit down with my neck fan on. Just hanging out a few loads of washing and tidying up the kitchen has left my heart racing, my stomach churning (I do have IBS which gets worse in the summer) and I feel so nauseous (I always feel so sick in the heat). Other than pace and fan myself there doesn't seem to be a lot I can do to dampen down the ill feeling I get.

No one else I know is like this, everyone adores this heat and really looks forward to it, some saying the hotter the better but I just want to lay on my bed and lay with the fan on all day, I feel so lightheaded and weird.

I have mentioned this numerous times to my GP but my blood levels return ok so they don't have any suggestions.

Is it normal to feel so unwell during the summer months? Does anyone else get this?

I freeze during the winter, like to the bone frozen but I would rather take that over the summer because at least I can carry my trusty hot water bottle around with me and layer up. The sticky, humid UK summers make me want to rip my skin off. It really annoys me because I love warmth and sunshine - I could happily reside in September and October for the rest of my days, I am at my most comfortable in Autumn.

That’s just not true anymore though is it. The year before we cracked and got AC our bedroom didn’t go below 30C for a month (new build). If OP’s boiler broke I’m sure she’d concede she’d have to replace or move whatever financial situation as it’s a necessity, I think AC is gradually becoming as necessary as a boiler. Especially in modern housing.

i just dont know what to do with myself
however i was persuaded to read a book and eventually found a spot of shade

I do think for many houses - particularly new builds and flats in the SE. We need to start seeing air con as a necessity. We are about to
move house and will take the hit in installing in in the bedrooms so we can actually sleep.

I personally do like the warm weather but concur this country isn’t really designed for heat above 30.

Last night I did struggle to sleep and poor DS1 who is in the loft conversion had to go and sleep in the garage!

We just need to watch how they cope in hotter countries. Stay inside during the heat of the day (if at home) loose cotton clothing, lots of water and air con everywhere.

You are used to it, we are not. You have air containing, we do not,mostly. I'm used to cooler weather, to me 18 degrees is tshirt weather, it would be hat and coat weather to you. When you are used to 18 degrees or well below for the majority of the year 28 degrees for a few days is a killer for the elderly, very young and those with health conditions. You are set up for it as a country, and more importantly it is your norm, it's not for us. It's going to be 30 degrees near me today, that's my warning to stay in, stay hydrated and do as little as possible because if I don't I will be seriously ill due to my health conditions.

It’s a very humid heat here too. If I was by the sea in a different county then I’m happy in anything up to about 35.

Here my preference is mid 20s with a warm evening to sit outside but then a cool night with a breeze - a rare occurrence.

I don’t think people realise the difference having air con everywhere (and pools and the sea) makes.

Is it really going to drop back to 14 next week? FFS! This country! We went from 12 degrees to 32 degrees and back down to 14 in two weeks then? Not much in the middle.

Thank you for your understanding and I am sorry you suffer too. Since starting this thread and reading some of the replies, I am starting to think that I must have something similar too, I have other symptoms which I have struggled with for years and I am now wondering if this is all connected?

I know some people just can not comprehend this but just like you, any weather above 20 (or under 10 or so for me also) leaves me feeling awful, it's not in my head, I am not overthinking it, I would love to be able to sit out on the beach or have a lovely picnic in the summer without feeling as though I may faint, feeling as though my may head explode or without the weird and unwelcome sensations I get throughout my body and the utter exhaustion from it all. I can't stand bright light either, as soon as evening comes my body comes down from whatever it is that it's struggling with.

Good luck coping with today as they are saying it's down to be the hottest May day on record 😣

Let's hope for a cooler summer ahead just so we can cope.

I'm pleased it will be cooler by next week. With GCSE and a levels my kids will appreciate the cooler weather to do their exams. It's a killer at the moment during half term when they are trying to revise in this heat.

I agree, people do type the most ridiculous suggestions on here. I have young adult kids living at home who firstly wouldn't want to move up North and are too young to afford to be able to live independently here in the SE, my dh has a job here and an elderly father to keep an eye on and I care for my mum who has advanced dementia.

We can't just up sticks and bugger off to anywhere of our choosing. I think some of these people must live in a bubble.

Not where I live. The lowest temperature forecast for where I live in Yorkshire is 19 degrees on Wednesday, then it is going up again to 25 on Thursday.
30 today and 28 on Tuesday, but I will be in an office with aircon and getting there and back in a car with aircon.

I hope you manage to keep comfortable today, I am keeping indoors today too. This heatwave really is no fun for those of us who struggle for one reason or another.

That's the thing though isn't it, it's all relative to what you are used to. I dare say if I had been born in a very hot country it may not affect me too much but with global warming this heat isn't something many UK born people over a certain age have ever been used to. My childhood summer memories are of my mum rushing out to but pac-a-macs whilst we were on holiday on the south coast and many of our family photos from those days consist of pics of my sister and I in shorts or ra-ra skirts and jumpers lol!

That's half the issue isn't it, there is no gradual rise to allow our bodies to adjust, it's madness that we are wearing autumnal clothing one day and less than a week later we are all digging out our summer clothes.

I’m completely with you and it’s part of the reason we bought our current home (south facing but most windows on the north side which is also shaded by trees, stone built). Even days of heat don’t permeate. We’re very happy here!

Our last home was south facing with windows on south, west and east. It was intolerably hot. The sun just got in all day long in the heatwaves. We tried every cooling method going. Nothing worked satisfactorily. We used to go camping if there was a heatwave forecast.

But yes, my reaction is outside the “norm” my husband finds me difficult in the heat but it does something to me! I’m just exhausted and my headaches! I’m only happy in water!

I realise this is a first world problem... and current thread adjacent but kind if still relevant -

but trying to have a capsule wardrobe in this country is nuts! Perhaps the idea came from climate such as California where it's either warm or very warm, + dry.

Trying to create, use and keep a a functional capsule wardrobe in a climate where you can easily cycle through all four seasons before Sunday (or before lunch aometimes!) is nigh on impossible

No I am too that it’s getting cooler. Also in the thick of GCSEs and doing exams in schools with no aircon would be hellish.

I would just prefer a more gentle range of temperatures but yep 14 is preferable to 30 plus in exam times. Especially as none of us slept well last night.

Yep - we just can’t acclimatise. There’s no gentle warm up and cool down just these wide temperature swings of 15 degrees!

I have spent a lot of time in Australia over the years so I do see what you are getting at. However, I have also hosted a lot of Australians in the UK, though no one from the NT.

They have all said the same thing. The heat in the UK feels different. Hotter.

@Saywhatnowhey fingers crossed eh? It’s pretty much what I said about mutual understanding. I would never question anyone saying how uncomfortable colder temperatures are to them, despite 10 degrees still feeling quite warm to me. Some of us unfortunately are genetically not able to cope with heat, and before any asks, I am a normal weight but with muscular build as I am a personal trainer so always active. Which solves one dilemma what to wear most days as gym wear is gym wear!

It's sweet that you find it hilarious, but please stop and think

• most UK buildings just aren't designed for this heat, they don't have air con and they are usually designed to hold heat rather than stay cool

I spent several years in Texas where it could get very hot but the difference was pretty much everyone had a pool in their backyard and everyone had Aircon and so did all the buildings and cars. And people tended to drive everywhere rather than walking /using public transport. So they barely spent any time actually living in the heat

We ended up getting some ceiling fan lights which were the best things that we ever got

I love heat. My DP is like this and tbh I find it really frustrating because his whingeing about heat limits us so much in what we can do. I am probably not being very kind and I know I should bite my tongue but I honestly feel like telling him to man up.

I find people bitching about heat really irritating. Yes I keep it to myself but it seems like such a waste to want to be indoors in weather like this.

To be fair, Australia is a bit different. Air conditioning is by no means universal.

Texas is so well set up for the heat cities like Houston have underground cities so you don’t have to surface!

That's the point I am trying to make - that much hotter temperatures can feel much easier when the infrastructure is there.