Staying sane in a heatwave

It’s hot where I am right now. The UK and the rest of western Europe is dealing with one of its biggest heatwaves in about forever, and I am not coping.

One thing I have to get across here to my foreign readers is that British heat is not like other heat. Our homes are built to trap warmth, there’s little-to-no air-conditioning anywhere (including in public spaces), and the humidity levels are always insanely high.

Also, culturally-speaking, Brits have yet to learn to adapt to any weather that isn’t mild - the unfortunate red-raw t-shirt sun-tans I’ve seen this week attest to that. I’ve too often had to remind friends to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated, often to no avail.

(Side note: here’s a helpful guide to surviving high temperatures for anyone who is struggling).

Some people are made different though. I saw this one man in a long-sleeve t-shirt walking down the street in 30C+ heat (over 86 Fahrenheit) while consuming a bag of fish and chips. Forget about the heat, if I tried to eat my dinner while walking in any weather I would probably ruin my clothes.

On the upside, I live close to the seafront and few things are more beautiful in life than a summer walk along a beach at sunset with a partner. Such things help keep me sane.

As I write this, the met office says a storm is on the way. I cannot wait.

That’s all for now.

Stay hydrated.