...Anyone else's heart sink at heatwaves?!

[SunLoather]

Agh! Just looked at the weather app and next week looks like hell! On Tuesday, when we have a big event and I'll be running everywhere and driving for hours, it'll be over 30

Every bloody heatwave I get sick, moody, and then also don't sleep for weeks. Every time! No idea why. I dread them

... Are there any fellow heat-haters about on Mumsnet who fancy a whine? may well just be me

The one benefit of being in an old-ish terrace is that it's fairly easy to keep cool-ish (because just like the cold, I've sussed which curtains/windows to have open/shut and the south facing windows don't get opened a long way until evening, or else the heat from the furnace that is our back yard blasts straight in). It's not quite cutting it today, though. Already 25C in my kitchen at 8am.

And it has been very damp and muggy for a while, now - ended up having to go round and clean up mould patches, the other week. I normally only have to do that in the worst of winter.

Last school run of the summer, this afternoon. DH is off work for the rest of the week, so we'll have a nice air conditioned car available. Need to go and fish out my favourite baggy man shorts so I can manage this afternoon's without flaking out. No breeze or cloud on the way down, yesterday and it was painful - a bit like standing directly in front of the oven. Thankfully a few clouds came over, giving us some relief on the way up because the poor kid was really sweaty.

I liked it as a kid, bluetea. I was outside constantly in 76. I didn't develop allergies and sun sensitivity until I hit puberty

I used to HATE heatwaves. Summer of 2003 I had a six month old baby and just had to spend every day parked in front of a fan. I used to get a sinking feeling when the forecast was over 20. Ten years ago I emigrated and now live somewhere with 6mth hot summers and I love it. British houses and other buildings just aren't built for the heat (double storey brick built and fully carpeted) and it is so rare to get heat plus comfortable humidity.

My tips for coping with heat in houses not built for it include keeping the bath full of cool water and just climb in for 30 mins before bed to get temp right down. If it's intolerably hot then sleep under a damp sheet. Open the loft hatch or sleep downstairs. Keep curtains drawn against the sun and then as soon as it goes down throw open every curtain and window. If you can afford it go buy a dehumidifier for you bedroom - you won't believe the difference this makes. Fill the washing up bowl with ice and water for a foot bath when watching tv in the evening. If you have two windows in your bedroom or wherever you sleep then throw both open and point the fan OUT of the window to create a cool cross breeze. Forget about sex

Well, I'm indoors with a headache, can't cool down, my little girl is in just her nappy, sleeping in the buggy at last and I've got to go and see MIL later

Not loving it today! DS is 2.8yr and DD is 8months. They are grumpy little buggers today! Need to take them for a walk after lunch and it's 30 degrees. I'm thinking a 20min walk round the park in the shaded bits (there are some trees). Would rather not but they both go a bit crazy being stuck indoors, poor things. I wish I could drive so I could drive them somewhere cool

Summer of 2003 I had a very poorly newborn
Now that was bloody grim
Just back from the beach where it is boiling hot and people are just arriving with babies in tow
It's too bloody hot for babies! No wonder they are all screaming!

Judy are you in a new build flat or something? My south facing conservatory has only just reached 30! How can your whole house be 31 degrees (unless you are a flat sandwiched in between other flats in the hottest part of the country). We are 29 outside at the mo.

I don't know about judy but I'm in a new build flat. Obvs left curtains closed etc. 31 reached easily.

Others in new builds might wish to consider heat film for window.

I bought what I could afford so the flat only faces one way, no escaping to a cooler side. Happily it will be over by Thursday.

Kally, I have a dehumidifier because my previous home had damp. It doesn't make much difference so I'm not sure I'd recommend paying for one to deal with summer humidity.

No, I'm not in a new build flat, I think the building's Edwardian. No idea whether the whole building is 31 degrees, but it is in the room where I have the thermometer.

kallyno can you explain the dehumidifier? I have one that I use to dry washing in winter - it chucks out a bit of hot air
Also opening the loft hatch - it's roasting up there, won't it make the upstairs even hotter?
hoping for miracle tips

Ps I love your other tips like feet incold water, def doing that!

Anyone see this morning just now? Ruth had something round her neck to cool down didn't catch what it was ??? Cos I'm meant to be working!

I have an air conditioner but only use it on dehumidify until the temp hits about 38. I live in Australia - didn't use air con at all last summer. Keeps the house pleasantly cool. Getting the humidity out of the air makes an unbelievable difference but perhaps it relies on the dehumidifier being big enough for the job? I used to have a portable one when I lived somewhere a little cooler and that worked in the bedroom but you need to give it time to work. I run it 24/7 in summer here.

Opening the loft hatch when you go to bed allows the heat to escape up there. It won't come down!

But creating a through draft with a fan blowing out the window is possibly the best cheap solution for short heatwaves as dehumidifiers are expensive.

I will admit today isn't too bad, for one thing I'm wearing cotton trousers so no chafing or sweating and I'm not stuck in the house!! I'm currently sat at my city's river gardens eating my lunch and relaxing in the shade- the breeze is lovely

A friend struggling with the heat elsewhere gave me this tip - though I haven't yet used it myself - use one of those cooling pet mats to sleep on under your sheet. They are quite common here in oz but I don't know how easy to find in the uk.

www.amazon.com/Green-Pet-Shop-Cooling-Medium/dp/B0047WCCBW

Oh I see well I have a dehumidifier so might try that this evening. The kids sleep in the converted attic which is roasting (obviously) so they've not been going to bed till gone 10pm and even then with fans on

I have anxiety which makes me sweat. Mixed with humidity, I have sweat running off me. So embarrassing. I get so self conscious that I think I sweat more!

Another sunloather here, I've never liked the sun, I remember as a child summer '76 being awful. Thankfully dm was just the same so we sat behind closed curtains for much of the summer holiday.
It's 31 degrees here now so expect it to exceed that later. I bought magicool spray but found it disappointing tbh. I aim to stay indoors and still as much as possible today whilst shaking my head in disbelief at the neighbour who is digging the garden in the full glare of the sun.
It's too hot for ddog so no demands for walks this afternoon (we went early morning) he's flat out on the tiled floor snoozing.

Everyone bitches when it's cold, moan when it's hot...try a 45+ degree day in Australia. .(even Aussies try to avoid going out those days) If people think 30 is 'hot' ....umm no that's mildly hot smh

I don't bitch when it's cold. I love it.

Also saying "oh in Australia it's 45c" isn't much of an argument. In Aus they're used to it regularly being in the 30s. We aren't.

I hate the cold. The problem with winter isn't just the cold. It is more expensive - heating costs, getting clothes to dry, using more hot water, using more electricity for lighting, using the oven more etc.

Well the water is back on. Quite cool in the living room which is good. Need to mow the lawn though, not looking forward to that.

My Japanese friend was looking forward to the heatwave but is hating it now it's here & is using a fan at work.
30+ degrees in Tokyo but apparently it's not the same....