Heatwave - what are you doing - VERY Worried

[Buddingbudlia]

We have a 15mo...really not sure what to do for the best. What are you going to be doing during the peak heat? What's your plan?!

Having lived in a really hot country.

1- don’t worry your baby will be fine :)
2- keep the house cool. That means windows all open very early in the am to
ket the cooler air in. Then curtains closed as soon as the sun shines on them.
3- stay indoors between 11.00am and 4.00pm.
4- paddling pool, stay in the shadows otherwise
5- the most important thing is to offer water, often. Room temperature is best.

Is this a wind up ? Seriously whats all the fuss about just stay in shade drink water and put on sunscreen !
People live in hot countries !!

Absolutely the story of my life!

Inspired, I've just ordered one too

This 😊 I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts. I'm sick to death of grey skies and rain I'd move somewhere that has decent seasons if I had the money.

You had the advantage!

@Bellagio40

😄

My plan?

I WFH, so I will be staying inside with the windows & curtains closed during the day. Eat very little, drink lots of iced water, keep calm & carry on. It’s two hot days, not two weeks.

I’m a bit lost at all the hysteria you can go to Spain and temp are over 40
nobody thinks twice it’s just hot we survive

I know we're not geared up for it here, and there may be some problems with transport, infrastructure etc.... HOWEVER, it's only two days (this time). Plenty of Brits willingly take themselves off every summer to places where the temperatures are regularly in the mid-high 30s - Turkey, Greece, Las Vegas, Dubai etc - from CHOICE, and for two weeks!

Businesses might need to adapt their services and practices to protect staff, but no one is going to die if they're sensible, keep hydrated and stay out of the sun. It will be hot for a short period.

More worrying is that a tipping point has been reach in terms of climate change. This will soon be something that happens every summer. And yet everyone on this thread wants to switch on AC and run fans 24/7. None of this helps the climate long term.

A few water play sessions in the bath with baby will help.

Open your windows, close your curtains, have lots of cold drinks and cold flannels in hand (roll a few wet flannels in the freezer) and take things gently. Not a biggie really - similar to what you might do abroad to be honest. This will become a more regular feature of UK weather.

Met Office video saying we don’t have the right infrastructure for 40 degrees (other countries do and people are acclimatised).

I get the worry - London heat is stiflingly humid, it’s not a lovely dry heat. I also get those being dismissive and saying oh it’s just a hot day etc. Tbf 40 degrees is way beyond a normal summer day though.

Are you suggesting people shouldn’t use fans and AC in 40 degree weather?

As you say it’s temporary. Monday - Thursday then Friday it will cool down.

• dog cooling matt
• use water spray to cool yourself (plus manual fan - v pleasant)
• make sheets a little damp, then put them in the freezer for a little while before bed - they’re so fresh and cool
• regular cold showers / baths - makes a huge difference right before bed
• freeze/refrigerate as much water / ice packs as you can - put them in a pillow case or two and take those to bed (like the opposite of a hot water bottle)
• cover the windows (curtains/anything to reflect the sunlight)
• get the air flowing through windows overnight/at the coolest time

You will all be absolutely fine, your greatest danger is worrying yourself into a state. Shut windows and curtains on the sunny side of the house. Get a fan and sit in front if it with a cold drink. Fill your ice cube trays up or buy a couple of bags of ice. Upstairs might be hot, if so, sleep downstairs. Move more slowly, don't do any rushing about that's not essential and have a cool shower if you get too hot. Find a shady spot and stick a paddling pool in it. Stick the DC in the paddling pool, stick some lollies in the freezer, don't use the oven. Repeat for 48 hours then get your jumper and your brolly out and do a roast dinner.

Get yourself a Victorian cottage with flagstone floors in the woods like we have. Lovely and cool.

Get in the car and drive to the Yorkshire coast. Perfect temp for sea paddling and ice creams!

Are you suggesting people shouldn’t use fans and AC in 40 degree weather?

Not in the long term; no, they shouldn't turn to these.

Have a read of this:
Climate-wrecking air conditioning units aren’t the only way to survive a heatwave
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/15/climate-wrecking-air-conditioning-units-heatwave-britain-weather-cool

Monday:
I haven't decided. I was going to do an outdoor activity (on a river).

Where I grew up people do river activities at these temps routinely.
I am kind of amused at the hysteria.

I think the most likely problems will be in people who can't/won't adapt. Insisting on their usual clothes & hot drinks, for instance. I know MIL would be like that.

Fans arent expensive to run...... They cost pennies a night. Mine runs everynight year round and dual fuel bill averages out at £20 pw. The bill ive just had was only £220 for 3 months.

We live where it’s hot in summer. Ds is 2, this is his third hot summer. So as tiny newborn, 1 year old and now.

We have no air con or fans, I honestly don’t know anyone who does either. He and the other local children don’t seem affected by it at all, and sleep exactly the same when it’s hot as went it’s cooler. In winter it was -18, so we get extremes as well.

Use common sense basically. In shade, water play, avoid heat of day. We do errands early in the day, and head out to parks or a walk in evenings after the sun blaring heat has dropped. The promenade area near us was full of young children 7-10pm last night. Relax any early bedtimes you might have.

@PutinSmellsPassItOn - it’s not the monetary cost, but if everyone starts using fans and air con the kw of energy needed will be astounding. And so the electric grids will crash, meaning you have no electric for anything.

I don’t think you need to panic! We took ours abroad when they were little all the time. Just stay out the hot sun. Hydration.

why the panic?!

I have spent the last two weeks in London and yes the last couple of days have been humid but the first part of the time I was there it was hot but really lovely. Not at all humid . I was surprised how easy it was to keep reasonably cool while sightseeing and shopping in the west end as most of the streets are fairly narrow and shaded

. Once the temperature goes above 30 deg, the shade areas outside aren't really cool enough but it hasn't really been much above that so far and there has been quite a nice breeze some of that time . Also sightseeing in the morning, then having lunch and going home by 2-3pm to rest in the afternoon has worked quite well

Obviously once the temperature gets much above 30deg it is harder and I plan to stay inside as much as possible, though I will need to work in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday. Luckily our offices seem reasonable cool ( though they don't have air con ) and in fact are often far too cold for me when the temperature outside is in the low 20s so should be ok if a bit warm