Tips for coping with heat

I have my fan charged and ready , but I don’t think it will be as hot here in Northern Ireland
I’m lucky to have an awning outside my living room it stops the buildup of heat in the room
Blinds down till the sun moves round doors propped open and fly swatter at the ready

I’m in the south east, I envy you!

My tip 😘 is to live in Scotland! We haven't had any really hot days, even by west of Scotland standards, but some may yet come. It's rarely really roasting though.

There was a warm enough day a week or so ago for me to be persuaded to go for a dip in the loch with a friend who swims in it regularly, even in winter (brrrr!). Sadly, I've discovered in the last year or two that swimming exacerbates the costochondritis I suffer from (caused by scoliosis) so occasional mere dips it will have to be.

I seem to have digressed!

Hope everyone manages to keep cool 😎

I dread the rising temperatures too. I have breathing issues which become a real problem in hot weather. I always wear a neck fan and carry a small water mister that I spray on my head and arms. Without these I wouldn't be able to go out on hot days. Indoors I sit by a fan.

I only go out if I really have to. Much prefer sitting indoors next to the fan and staying as cool as possible.

Don’t worry give it a few months and it will be wet, cold and grey…

Have put some ideas on another post but some ideas for here. If it is not very hot now and you are able to , cook some dishes and freeze them in appropriate portions so that when it is hot, you can just get something out and only have to reheat in the cooler evenings. Get plenty of bottled water, fruit juice etc so that you can put some in the fridge when the weather is hot. Avoid alcohol when it is hot, it doesnt help at all.

Keep the curtains closed and also the windows, until the temperature outside is cooler than inside. Doesnt sound right if you can hear a breeze outside but if it is hotter than the inside temperature, wont help to open them. Where you have a wide windowledge put a bowl of cold water on it. If you have an old hot water bottle, fill with very cold water and a little ice, wrap a thin towel round it and then you can sit with your bare feet on it. Very cooling, or if you dont have that , get one of those lunch box freezer blocks and do the same.

Rinse a clean flannel in very cold water, and squeeze it out so no running water from it. If you have to go out, take with you a bottle of cold water from the fridge and put the flannel (in a plastic bag) next to the water. That helps to keep the flannel cool and also you have some cold water if you need it. When you feel very hot, use the flannel on your face , hands and wrists. At home , sit away from the windows in cooler areas and you can use the same flannel ideas , but also I leave cold water in the washbasin, and you can cool yourself in the same way. I also wet my hair and very lightly take off the running water and then allow my hair to dry naturally. I do think keeping hands and feet cold helps in general, as of course you can then also run your cold hands on your arms or legs to help cool down.

If you are able to go out for shopping, then going as early as possible and if walking choose the shady sides of the street. It is worth sticking to the shade and only going across to the sunny side where necessary. If you have to be out at a hotter time of day then take an umbrella as a sunshade. Obviously wearing loose clothing ,cotton or silk if you have it but not manmade , which tends to stick to you. At home ,I recommend ditching the bra ladies, so nothing tight. That cold flannel can sit round your neck if it gets too hot, and at night the ever useful cold water bottle can be treated like the winter warming pan, by running it over your pillow and sheet to cool it down for you. If you have a spare pillow, keep by your bed, then if you wake hot and sweaty at 2 am swopping the pillow for a cooler and drier one can help you get back to sleep.

Hope something might be of use here

madeleine45 I was out in London last Saturday (lunch and an Arena gig )

I had a small muslin face cloth which I wrapped round a few ice cubes, put in a zip lock freezer bag. Each time we ordered drinks I ordered a glass of ice in order to replace what had melted.

My daughter in law laughed at first, but was very grateful as we headed towards midnight and it was still above 30°

I suppose I had turned to this thread in the hope of some new ideas, I think most if not all of us do the cooking in advance/bottled water and soft drinks in the fridge/sticking to the shade/ wearing loose clothing in natural fibres thing/cold bottle in bed and fresh spare cool pillow already.
Lets face it, we’re not the first to have a July heatwave and we won’t be the last.

MawsRosie

I suppose I had turned to this thread in the hope of some new ideas, I think most if not all of us do the cooking in advance/bottled water and soft drinks in the fridge/sticking to the shade/ wearing loose clothing in natural fibres thing/cold bottle in bed and fresh spare cool pillow already.
Lets face it, we’re not the first to have a July heatwave and we won’t be the last.

Totally agree, there does seem to be rather a lot of hyperbole around this summer…

For me, the thinking about it is worse than actually living through it. So I am just switching off weather forecasts.

Get up really early and do everything that needs doing. I was gardening at 6am and it was lovely out. Nap in the afternoon.

LaCrepescule

I’m in the south east, I envy you!

South East here too. I detest this weather and at 78 and with 2 heart conditions I really should be indoors more but my youngest DD had knee surgery 3 weeks ago so I have had to collect her 2 daughters from different schools every afternoon.
I shall be relieved when the temperature drops and the rain starts.
I have only cold drinks and snacks little and often. Fan on in my sitting room and neck and held hand fans if I am out. Small cold blocks straight from the freezer and popped into a sock and held on the inside of my wrists helps a lot.

Twenty four degrees here in the North and that’s too hot for me. Sitting in front of a fan.

31 outside and 23 inside. No air con but I have been experimenting with simple cheap diy measures. Everything I have done, including changes I made are on the thread
chat forum
unused rooms, heat storage and heat transfer

I am very comfortable and not sitting in a dark cave nor do I need a fan

.
It was my hubby's birthday at the weekend and as he's been really debilitated by the recent heat, I bought him a Rechargeable Neck Fan. (Amazon £3:00).

He's loving it.
.

Bags.

What exactly is costochondritis.? Hope I’ve spelt that correctly.

I have scoliosis as well, but never heard of the above word.

Baggs

My tip 😘 is to live in Scotland! We haven't had any really hot days, even by west of Scotland standards, but some may yet come. It's rarely really roasting though.

There was a warm enough day a week or so ago for me to be persuaded to go for a dip in the loch with a friend who swims in it regularly, even in winter (brrrr!). Sadly, I've discovered in the last year or two that swimming exacerbates the costochondritis I suffer from (caused by scoliosis) so occasional mere dips it will have to be.

I seem to have digressed!

Hope everyone manages to keep cool 😎

I’ve been trying to persuade my youngest son that we should move to Scotland - two of his brothers live there and I always compare temperatures. He won’t budge though.

Loving every minute of this heat. It’s 26* here in West Yorkshire. I’m out on my decking in the full sun wearing shorts and a vest reading and snoozing in my hanging egg chair. All my windows are open to let in as much heat as possible.
I love the heat at night as well. My partner thinks I’m really a lizard !

Put a bottle of water (3/4 filled) in the freezer, with no lid.
Once frozen, replace the lid and place it in front of a fan for instant a/c

When our children were young I put drinks for their packing up in the freezer (again only 3/4 full due to it expanding when it is frozen). Put lid back on, wrapped it in a thin tea towel (to absorb water as it thaws, and stops food becoming wet). When it was time to drink, the ice was partially melted and they got an ice cold drink with some left for later. And the tea towel was something nice for them to wipe over face, neck and hands/arms.

27/8 degrees already in the bedrooms and only 4pm, windows closed and blinds down since first thing. 37C outside, living in twilight zone here and due to get even hotter for next 2 days before continuing into next week. Had to 'sleep' downstairs during last heat wave as too hot upstairs. Dreading more of this no energy to do anything except watch the garden frazzle!

26 would be heaven MissChateline. It’s more like 36 down south.

In the summertime when the weather is high, i can reach right up and touch the sky, da da dum dum dum , in the summertime

Just checked it is currently 30° here in the S E.

Just had to dry my hair ready to go out to eat with my bestie that was rather uncomfortable