To think this heatwave is a bad as the last?

[PrincessOfPreschool]

Last time it got really hot, a couple of weeks ago, schools closed early, there was different uniform, all sorts of safety restrictions.

This time it's just 'get on with it'. I work with young children and we closed at midday last time... This time the kids are so hot and bothered in the afternoon. We have a couple of fans in a huge space which only work for one person if they're almost sitting on top of them, let alone a room of kids. It's too hot to go outside - no breeze.

So AIBU to expect some consistency? If it was unsafe before, it is unsafe now. It's already so hot today.

Agreed - I'm so uncomfortable

I’m a teacher too, but I just think we have to get on with it this time round. It is hard. The children are so ratty with each other too. But like a snow day, if you can get in, get in, and curriculum matters kind of go out the window. Parents can choose in my view.

Our school is doing everything as before - shorter outdoor breaks, pe clothes- except for the optional early pick up. I think if the weather warning moves from Amber to Red they will offer the early pick up option too.
Sports day has been cancelled again. Looks like it’s not happening this year. (I’m fine with that!)

It's a bit odd isn't it, the different messages

There's no let up inside. It's 27.8 degrees in the house

It’s not as hot as the last one, it had more days above 34C and night temperatures were hotter. We can’t keep closing schools every time it gets above 30.

Where we are (south west) it's definitely not as bad as the last. It's several degrees cooler, less humid, and temperatures are dropping more during the night which means the house is cooling better at night (i keep things shut in the day and open after dark) so we're getting a bit more respite and the heat indoors isn't building up as much. I was relieved/supportive when the schools closed last time as even our short school run was absolutely brutal, but I don't think that is feasible for them to close everytime it hits the 30s as sadly this is not unusual anymore. The last one was exceptional, SO hot during night and day and red weather warnings.

That being said, it's still bloody hot!! And going on for longer.... I hate it!

Im in SE London and it's not as bad, but I'm still sleep deprived from the last one so I have absolutely no resilience anymore.

It's worse - it's lasting longer. This one has now beaten the 1976 record of 7 days of heatwave. We've still got August to come!

The precedent has been set now. Everytime it gets above 30c, schools will think they can/should close.
It is uncomfortably hot but life goes on. Relaxing uniform for staff and students should be a given when it’s this hot though, that is very easy to implement.

In the north and it's as bad as before

The warning level is different so I guess nurseries are taking that into account.

Where i am the nights are considerably cooler. Last time it was over 20 degrees all night - a couple the coolest it got was 23. This time its dropping to 16 or 17 so everything cools down a bit overnight before it starts building up again.

I think the days have been more 33/34 than 35/36 here too.

Worse, longer. It was 32 degrees in my bedroom last night. I slept in the basement.

It's rotten yes but what do you want to do? We can't stop working we can't stop educating we can't stop anything. We have to adapt. That's it really

You are right, they should be consistent. Last time was a complete overreaction. Kids will be hot, bothered and ratty at home too. It's just weather. We need to teach them a bit more resilience, it's just life and is going to get hotter for them throughout their lifetime so they need to get used to it.

So, this time they've got it right, last time they got it wrong.

I think that people have realised that all the early school closures etc. were OTT. Kids around here were out in the sun all afternoon riding bikes, playing football and generally having a brilliant time rather than hiding from the weather.

This - worse, even. It’s going to hit a real feel of 36 here today thanks to the humidity. And the renderers on our house have sealed our windows shut with shrink wrap (which I only discovered last night when I tried to open them 😭). It’s too hot for them to work today so I’m trying to cut through the shrink wrap with a vegetable knife so we don’t boil in here.

Considering a hotel room. A nice, air conditioned hotel room.

Agree and I would say it's slightly more bearable in school this time around (although very hot). Definitely babysitting more than teaching in the afternoon. Parents can always keep them off.

Ridiculous and cruel! Air conditioning is needed to keep us functioning in heatwaves.

Definitely not as bad here in Surrey.

It’s a lot less humid this time. Still hot, but at least we can breathe.

I’m in the SE. It was 36 in the last one, it’s due to be 26 here today-maybe 30 later, it’s nowhere near as unpleasant.

it’s less humid or perhaps we have acclimatised?

I do think it was worse last time in that the temperatures peaked at higher. Whereas this particular heatwave is longer, so I think that’s why we may be struggling more - it’s relentless.

I think it’s different this time as it seems it’s only hot north of Birmingham it’s not the whole of the UK. It was cool and overcast where I am yesterday and today is just pleasant.

I assume it depends where you are but last time the temperatures were in the mid- to high 30s. This time, it's been in the high 20s and early 30s. Obviously that's hot, but nowhere near as abnormal as it was last time. Heat in the 28-30C mark isn't actually that uncommon in summer. The main reason it's in the news is just because it's been for several days in a row.