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

Agree with :@WitchWithoutChips

On the news I am seeing guidance for people re keeping hydrated, keeping animals out of the sun, curtains shut, making sure elderly people are checked in on. Plus an acknowledgement that these temps are incredibly unusual for the UK.

On this thread I see advice, tip sharing and advice. Plus a few scoffers and deniers. I mean, whatever rocks your boat, but it is a fact that the temps are warmer than many are used to and many will both need and welcome advice on how to deal with it.

To call it mass hysteria is a bit overbaked. (See what I did there?)

The Met Office have updated their warning for the NE and Scotland to extend the area which the amber warning covers.
www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-07-18

It's not something I'd considered as being an issue. I think they should be fine.

Have you read the government planning for heatwaves in England? It states that media outlets have to tell people what to do and constantly remind them in alert levels 3 and 4. As part of their license conditions media outlets have a duty to comply with this.

Where? If anything on MN there’s a higher proportion of “I’m all right, Jack” posters revelling in their gazebos/pergolas/giant shady gardens/solar panels/not being elderly, vulnerable, small, having a small baby/not living in a flat.

There’s an awful lot of “Why panic? Sit beneath this shady tree with a glass of rosé and enjoy it” from posters who lack the imagination to spot that many lives are not like their own, and the ones “panicking” (aka, concerned and looking for tips) perhaps might have good reason to worry.

@OhYouBadBadKitten thank you!

@OhYouBadBadKitten - it could be the slightly unusual design of our roof? It isn’t like the roofs of previous houses we have lived in!

Don’t be daft.

Oh! that's interesting. I suppose things will change regularly as more info is gathered.

Met office for me is now 36/37, it was 40 /41

Even if there were mass hysteria and panicking, I fail to work out the elevated health risk.

You haven't read the thread, have you?

I'm and old man but have lived in some hot places.

One summer in Marmaris, Turkey my wife and I would go to bed in wet night clothes with 2L plastic bottles filled with water and a few holes made in the cap. The water dries fairly quickly in the heat but you feel wonderfully cold.

Spare a thought for the construction workers in Qatar where it is 40+ most days through the summer.

Keep cool

@OhYouBadBadKitten - I’ve just found another reason why our loft space might be a bit cooler than others’ at the moment: we have solar panels covering most of the south facing roof slope. Apparently these can reduce the amount of heat getting through the roof and into the loft. A bonus of getting solar panels we hadn’t predicted!

So, a fortuitous combination of insulation and ventilation in our particular design of roof space means that opening the roof hatch has helped us so far? Maybe better not to keep opening the loft hatch when it gets hotter still - will have to see.

Spare a thought for the construction workers in Qatar where it is 40+ most days through the summer.

@DTT39 Legally they aren't allowed to work in the hottest part of the day between 11-3pm but in practice it is ignored. Many immigrant construction workers end up dying or with life changing injuries e.g. kidney failure due to the working conditions.

@stuntbubbles please don't sit under a tree in the sun drinking a glass of rose. The alcohol will dehydrate you.

That would make sense @Walkaround It shows that as often is the case that the real answer is 'it depends'

Just don’t store a spare chocolate advent calendar up there like I stupidly did last year!

We keep our loft hatch open all summer, every year. It does get hot up there anyway, but it seems better with the hatch open because air flows up and out of the eaves as there's airflow. It seems to work for us.
Currently quite pleasant upstairs as there's a breeze so I've got the windows open but I've covered the bedroom windows with towels and it's made a big difference to the temperature as the air is still moving but the sun isn't heating the room up. Once the outdoor temperature rises I will shut them.
Living room currently the worst as it's got big patio doors. DH thought that moving the table so the umbrella shades it was a silly idea, but I may go and do it anyway.

I can't help but think that some people on this thread are being deliberately obtuse!

Either that or they are, to put it simply, THICK! 😉

I'm not opening my loft hatch. There's spiders up there. shudder

@RedWingBoots I’m not the one who needs telling!

Best to keep your curtains shut and fans on

Can't you just close your curtains or blinds?