What does 46 degree heat feel like?

[SixKeys]

Going away for 10 days to a country where it will be a min of 30 degrees at night and max of 45 in the day. Have never felt heat like this before. Planning on doing excursions very early in morning, staying in hotel and going to museums and air conditioned places during the day, then poss going out again in the evening. Can anyone help me prepare for such extreme heat? Is it oppressive? Manageable? Any tips for staying comfortable?

Gulp! Where?

It's pretty grim. Also depends on humidity.

When we went to Turkey it was 40 in the shade. I found it pretty unbearable, tbh. We went on a boat trip and couldn't walk along the deck in bare feet.

Egypt. It's usually around 34 degrees which is why we booked for June but it's now predicted to be 10 degrees hotter!

Very hot 😂stay out of it as much as possible live in AC car and hotels/shopping malls. Wear long sleeves if outside better to cover skin with light fabric & hat then try to use suncream, but I’m fair skinned. Dry heat is easier than humid heat. Watch out for over hydrating with just water, you need salts & sugar too. V.Early morning activites.

Is it dry heat or humid?
In recent years I've been in Madrid at 40 Rome at 42 and where I live in Puglia at 40. Two very dry and one (Puglia) humid. IMO it's much easier when it's dry heat as there isn't that "heavy" pressing feeling with it.
Am guessing you're going Middle East?

Not worried too much about sunburn as I'm black and will smother myself in factor 50. It's more the heat I'm concerned about 😬

Will it be humid or dry heat? Both hard going, but feel very different. The key things to remember in that sort of heat:

You will need to slow down. Don’t plan full day itineraries. That sort of heat makes it impossible to rush around.

You really shouldn’t go out in the middle of the day. It will be absolutely roasting hot - dangerously so. It’s a good time to nap!

Otherwise, you get used to it after a couple of adjustment days, I find.

Very dry!

I'm a redhead so I think I would just set on fire TBH

@bonfirebash in a sort of life imitating mumsnet username way… 🤣

Me too by the way, I’d die!

I find dry heat easier. Yes, it’s scorching, but you don’t get that drained feeling you get from sweating constantly in thick, soupy air.

I’ve been in very dry heat, touching 50, in Dubai, Tokyo, Lagos. It’s so-able and quite weirdly and wonderfully atmospheric. Just stay on the shade on the middle of the day!

Do-able

I've been in it in Egypt too! It was in the mid 40s on the beach which was pretty difficult.

My advice is book snorkelling trips/scuba...mainly for the fact that the snorkelling is absolutely incredible there! (well Red Sea if you're near Sharm El-Shiekh) but also it keeps you very cool as you're in and out if the water.

I'd remain in AC during hottest parts of the day. In and out of pool will help. I always find the beach just fries you although depends if you're more a pool/beach person!

Drink bottled water to the MAX. Don't trust the tap...no ice...no washed salads..no teeth brushing in tap etc. it was a water park that finally gave us the 💩 because you gulp/drink a bit unknowingly!

It's not fun. Grew up in ME. Most expats left for the summer. Chilled pools, air conditioning and not much going outside. Beach was unbearable from reflection and the temp of the sand.

Natural fabrics, drink lots of water, find air con and water to cool down in.

I had heat stroke once and i think known the signs i'd have prevented it so maybe look them up.

So long as you have the sea, a pool and Air Con you'll be fine

I live in Australia and we’ve hit 46 a few times. Basically we don’t go outside, at all. It feels like walking into an oven. We have a backyard pool and couldn’t go in it until the sun went down.

Your biggest risks will be dehydration and heatstroke. It’s really difficult to keep your fluids up in that heat. I’d take some rehydration tablets with you - the kind you have after severe gastro bugs.

You'll find you'll want to stay in your room after lunch and nap in the air con

Oh and as for what is actually feels like I far prefer dry over humid heat. It feels very odd walking around in AC then stepping outside - it is sauna or oven like, a bit like a wall of heat - but I love that feeling! 🔥

It was 44 in Cyprus the year I went. No air con as we stayed in accommodation not chosen by me. We slept outside, stayed in all day. It was the worst holiday I have ever been on.

I've experienced dry heat at 45C, in Jordan. It wasn't unbearable, but you need to be very careful to drink enough as it's really easy to become dehydrated. Stay out of direct sunshine in the middle of the day, long sleeves, sunhat etc.

Noooooo oh lord seriously 👎👎

I was in Arizona in 42 degree heat and nearly died 😂 so very hot. I would just spend all day in the pool with a sun hat on drinking tonnes of water I think. Except for midday when I’d have an inside sleep. Might it be cooler near the sea where you’re going?

It was 42 one day when we were in Marrakech, I wanted to die, it was like breathing in soup

Personally, I wouldn't go, but I'm perimenopause and have no temperature control!

If you can normally stand the heat, wear loose thin linen and make sure you have aircon.

I like being outside on holiday. If you do to then what's point of going abroad to be inside?