Met office RED WARNING for extreme heat.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

General discussion is www.mumsnet.com/talk/weather/4583720-we-need-to-talk-about-the-weather-and-the-potential-for-extreme-heat but I wanted this to be seen by as many people as possible.
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-07-18

Just had a message from the secondary school. Open as normal, encourage children to drink plenty, stay in shade. Allowed to wear p.e.kit instead of uniform. 😳😳 School will only shut on official (, government) advice !!!!

I used to live in the tropics. My advice would be to stay out of the sun 10-5pm if you can. Take at least 2-3 cold/cool showers a day. Don't wear polyester only natural fabrics. Walk slowly and wear a hat.

Sorry that was meant to @Narwhalelife and @concernedguineapig

Advice from the British Vet Association.
www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/sunscreen-shade-and-sunset-walkies-vets-issue-urgent-heatwave-advice-as-temperatures-set-to-rival-2018-record/

My school told me the DfE advise no vigorous exercise outside if temp is above 32.

Your school sounds stupid.

Oh I know. It's horrendous how people can write off a whole group of people as not being worthy to be considered valuable.

They are the equivalent of racist but just don't see it.

Sleep downstairs with the windows open (ideally more than one window in the room). Heat rises.

The 2003 French heatwave was a real life, lived experience for us.

I'm not trying to belittle the potential situation in the UK but what went on in France in 2003 happened over a very extended period, whereas the Uk heatwave is forecast for two or three days next week. It was the duration of the French/European event that unfortunately literally was the killer in many cases, not just the temperatures.

In 2003 Northern France had a long run of several weeks of hot days and night, culminating in a period of about a week and a half where some areas hit 40 degrees celsius plus every day and he temperature didn't drop significantly at night...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_European_heat_wave#France

I love the ableism of some people, it’s my birthday on Monday and I’m 50 plus so at that time of life. I’m also a brittle asthmatic as well as a few other hidden disabilities

I lived through 76 and people did moan I can assure you, pregnant through 2002/3 when we bad heat waves which wasn’t much fun either but I coped

However, I won’t be the only asthmatic currently being affected by this heatwave in multiple ways, because it’s been sustained our local farmers have for the first time ever cut the crops 2 weeks earlier than I’ve ever known

This has made my asthma deeply unstable and although I’m regaining control the added heat spike predicted 36/37 where I am will affect me severely.

The last thing I need is to end up in hospital which currently has over 130 patients with covid on its wards as I’m CEV

just remember you may be ok, but it can be life threatening for others and have some compassion

It's 42 degrees in Seville today!

Just had a message to say they've postponed until September, I think that's the right decision.

@bushtailadventures I sympathize as my lungs don't cope well with anything above about 32.

Is there any chance of changing your work hours so the walk could be when it's a bit cooler? And what's the shade like on the way? It makes a big difference

Honestly I will not even get started on the issue of how people treat the vulnerable as I had too many threads about it during covid. I have a very vulnerable and disabled DS. The callous indifference and oftentimes downright antagonism showed towards him during covid due to people thinking that somehow people like him were not worthy of consideration and were merely preventing normal people from living normal life... and the stats that showed vulnerable people were affected were somehow collateral damage. I have said so many times on MN that the things that have been said to me both IRL and on MN i am truly not sure I will ever get over.

What I did come to realise is that there really is only a thin veneer of civilisation and when you scratch the surface there is a considerable cohort who genuinely do not give a shit about anyone else.

What we need is for a Minister for Drought to be appointed immediately. It worked in 1976 when Denis Howell was appointed in this role, a few days later we had torrential rain. I remember it well as I had struggled all through those endless hot days working in a brand new office made out of steel and glass, endless large glass windows there were, but no air conditioning (which was rare anyway in 1976) as they ran out of money. It was hell. But I was looking forward to my camping holiday in Cornwall with the BF.

Well, first we both ended up with dysentery caused by the water levels being so low that bacteria was not being flushed away, not a lot of fun having to traipse to the basic toilet block in the middle of the field on an hourly basis, then we had torrential rain and wind which nearly blew the tent away. We admitted defeat and drove home, never have I been more glad to see my own bed and bathroom with hot and cold running water.

Ahh, good old 1976. 🌞🌞🌝

Our school has cancelled the trip to the beach and they’re having a mass water fight instead!

We had a week of 38 degrees last summer in my bit of Canada. Ghastly. We are setup for -30 not plus

Have all your windows open at night and in the morning, then at about 10am totally shut up shop, curtains and blinds too, to trap the cool inside.

It's not perfect, but it really helped.

We're lucky enough to have cool basements to hide in.

good luck!

Johnson is having a party today at chequers no mention from government as to what people should do re this red alert you couldn't make it up

On Tuesday we are having a team building event -water fights

So we didn't matter for covid and we don't matter now?
That's stuff like people with diabetes, heart issues, asthma, breathing issues, migraines
But it's all ok

Anyone can get an underlying health issue at any time so it could be you tomorrow

Entirely agree Blackeyed

It's like Covid all over again. Oh only the vulnerable will suffer so I'm alright jack. I'm also disabled and have a condition whereby I dont regulate my temperature correctly.

FfS , when we go on holiday we have aircon, pools and beaches.

How on earth would lying by a poolside or sitting on a beach make you less likely to get heatstroke?

I do think there is a bit of hysteria in this thread, possibly because COVID has broken people's brains a bit. Japan where I live regularly gets temperatures hotter than this in the summer, and I don't usually use aircon in my flat while working during the day. Japanese schools also mostly didn't have aircon until fairly recently.

Switch schedule around as much as possible (ie, get your outdoor time in the later part of the day if you can). When outside, seek shade and carry a big dark umbrella with you. Sip water, obviously. Just sensible habits. I've never had heat stroke. Heat stroke, IME, is usually what happens when people are sunbathing or hanging out on boats; you can choose not to do those things on a very hot day.

The main concern I would have about the UK is that some wiring and road surfaces etc. may not have been created with such high temperatures in mind. I'd avoid doing significant travelling, and back up my documents regularly etc if working on a PC.

“TBH most of the people who do suffer are elderly, have pre existing health issues, or think it's a good idea to jump off bridges into rivers, or sun themselves on beaches.”

Wow, you know old, unwell and naive people are still people right? Who don’t deserve to die. Your whole post is basically “this won’t really affect me so everyone should shut up about it.”

Anyone can get an underlying health issue at any time so it could be you tomorrow

Yes, but the difference is that heat stroke is not contagious.
There is no need for everyone to collectively participate in extreme fearfulness in order to protect those who are heatstroke prone.

I've got a pre-op on Monday, at a hospital 20 miles away. I have to go by bus (husband is working and ironically is a bus driver). I have to catch two buses and then walk up a big hill from the station.

I have trouble walking (which is what the operation is for), but even more so when it's hot, add in the fact that my asthma has been giving me hell when it's hot, I really don't want to go (plus the fact I've got the pre-op means the op must be soon, but we're going on holiday in August, plus DD needs a lot of things for the new school year bought during the holidays - the op means I won't be able to walk for 3 - 6 months, and totally bedbound for 8 weeks).

DD's school has also moved to remote learning due to the heat next week, so don't want to leave her for hours.

Not sure what to do. I feel I can't phone up and rearrange today as they'll laugh at me.

Less than 5% of our roads are built for the heat, apparently. www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23315384