Is anyone up? Getting ready for the heat

It could be quite nasty in a built up area, all that thermal mass absorbing the heat, like a storage heater, also called a thermal store, only to release that heat all through the night. An actual air temperature of 40 may well result in a surrounding thermal mass temperature that is very much higher

But other European countries manage it all karmalady

Bluebelle - so agree with you. Yes I know that the temperatures in Europe and now coming here for a couple of says are unusual (to say the least), but am fed up now with everything having to be subject to 'scare' media news.

Anyone on GN must, surely, have lived through several heat waves, some longer than others - 1976 it went on and on for about sic weeks, reservoirs dried up - as did rivers, etc. Can remember those pictures of the cracked and dried up beds of those places. School did not close, people went to work as normal, there were no such things as domestic fans in our homes, not even water bottles for us to carry everywhere!!!

Today,I am off, on the bus, to do my Sainsbury shop this morning, and will attend my u3a knit and chat group this afternoon. Windows are all wide open, have two parasols on my balcony which will protect the large windows alongside my patio door fro the sun. Do not close curtains at all (except bedroom ones at night) during summer months.

Dh walked the dog much earlier than normal. I got on with (very) light housework . It's a stunning day but will stay in for most of it. Hunted down an old summer hat of my DD. Wearing loose linen dress. Meals will be whatever to hand.
Keep cool everyone.

Sitting on the patio having breakfast under the shade of the wisteria. Watering done but have decided to not to play tennis at 11.
We are quite lucky, we have windows that face all aspects so always have a cool room when (if) it gets too hot outside. We are in the red zone but it really hasn’t been too bad so far.

I’m sitting in the garden with 2nd coffee, it’s nice and cool out here at the moment, trying to psych myself up for going to the supermarket for wherewithal to make 4 dozen chocolate fairy cakes for Gds’ birthday party tomorrow.
Which will be right after they break up from school at 1.30 ?in the park opposite the school.

Luckily there are some very shady areas and there will be loads of ice plus water balloons for chucking at each other. And at Granny, I hope.

Just returned from walking DGdog in the pleasant, early morning sun. I had expected to wake up to scorchio but so far it’s like an ordinary summer’s day.
Inside house temperature is 25C. South-facing windows and conservatory are now shaded by blinds and curtains. Quiche, various salads, ice cubes. ice lollies, melon or orange, have been made. iPad, phone and power packs are fully charged. Washing and ironing have been done.
By 5pm we are forecast 35C. Like BlueBelle, I live next the sea but I’m afeared of jelly fish!

It’s cool here still in south Manchester but highs of 37°C expected later. I like the heat but when it’s humid (like yesterday tea time) I hate that.

Schoolchildren are walking to school down below our apartment in their lightweight school sports uniforms. Our grandchildren have been told to wear theirs for 2 days.

It’s just really pleasant at the moment.
?

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202207/medium-765169-20220718-085446.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202207/medium-657783-20220718-090115.jpg

Mission accomplished

Ah, bless him! That river looks beautiful

Now off come and join me all welcome

oh I so admire the people, especially the elderly, who can cope with sudden hot temperatures. It might be in the genes, not in mine

That is a beautiful photo Joseanne

Outside temperature is now 26 and climbing

Dd was sent a beautiful bouquet of roses by a grateful patient, dd recognised the stroke caused by 26 degree heat and patient was rescued in the nick of time. Dd has plenty of experience and is always sensible enough to take precautions herself rather than be gung ho

PamelaJ1

Sitting on the patio having breakfast under the shade of the wisteria. Watering done but have decided to not to play tennis at 11.
We are quite lucky, we have windows that face all aspects so always have a cool room when (if) it gets too hot outside. We are in the red zone but it really hasn’t been too bad so far.

It wil be interesting if it does reach 40 degrees anywhere, it has never ever been that high anywhere in the uk. It might not happen

Sitting in the garden with a coffee a short walk with the dog. I thought that I was early but apparently not!

lol, daisymae, many of us will be napping later

Got to find something to fill my time right now, rather than the laptop

It's actually quite cloudy here this morning, south of Dartmoor. And we had a sudden sharp shower yesterday evening. I did the watering early and am now sitting down on here with a toasted crumpet.

karmalady, I've had a similar routine of cooling the house down around 4 am - then shutting all the windows and closing blinds and curtains by 7.30 am - when the sun hits the house. Still, that won't help very much tomorrow (in London) as temperatures will remain high overnight.

All the windows on the sunny side have been covered, inside and out - despite their double glazing and blinds. I raided my garage hoard of 'useful stuff' and found boards, polystyrene packing blocks, old sheets and duvet covers - and some silver reflective floor underlay sheets (very effective). Ok, some rooms are now dark but I'll put the light on. The difference is amazing, as it's 23 degrees in here!

Plan B, if it's hot in the morning, will be to spray down the house walls with my garden hose. A waste of precious water, perhaps, but this is an emergency.

I'm off to rehab Pilates soon. If I don't go I could seize up but if I do go I could get hot getting there. Damned if I do and damned if I don't but I'm going with bottle of water within reach!!

37.8 on the thermometer outside the kitchen window at the mo, sun isn’t on it now - dh said it was 40 earlier.
I was in nice cool Asda, car parked underground, out of the sun.
They had dinosaur fairy cake cases! Gds will be happy.

I went out at 08.30 on errands and then into M&S for a few vital supplies. It was 25C when I went and now 30C - I was out for 90 minutes, sticking to the shady side of the street when possible!

Everyone is out and about as normal.

Hetty58, perfect, especially the home made precautions, solar can certainly be reflected away from the house

Homes in the uk are generally built to retain heat which makes it difficult for many right now

Weather station is 28 out and 23 in. Precautions are working

Being up early, woke naturally. and must have been a bird in a previous life, I just ate a slice of hm and still half-frozen pizza. I ate it outside, there was some cloud. I only got halfway through it and the sun came out again. I came in

Already too hot and dangerous for me. No factor on my skin. I noticed a bcc in 2006, it was very tiny, like a weeny pinhead on my forehead. I had it cut out. Everyone is prone to that type of cancer, always best to avoid any circumstance that can activate a bcc, which is btw not one really to worry about as it is extremely slow growing and superficial

Franburn
I couldn’t agree more. In fact I’ve been fed up with scare stories for the past two bloody years.

popped out to check the shading, no wind at all so those sail-like shades are safe and I won`t need them up by 2 anyway. It is unbearably stifling hot now

weather station: 31 out and 23 in. That is a better differential than I managed yesterday

The heat will now be radiating from solid structures, roads, pavers , houses etc so I have shut every shutter and the door curtain on the east side. Now I really am in a cave but am hoping to keep most of that temperature differential until tonight

Lounging on my bed in a cool north facing bedroom with plantation shutters closed and a glass of water close by. My cleaners came early ( they started at 5 am apparently but came to me at 10am) so house lovely and clean. I gave them a bottle of cold water each to take with them, it had been in my fridge for a couple of days so would be cooler than the bottles they brought with them.

I might have a snooze later before going out to a WI meeting - the gin club! Outside in the garden, ice bucket and frozen lemons ready, what better way to spend the evening?

Hetty58. Does spraying the outside walls of your house actually do any good?

Surely all it will do is raise the humidity in the immediate area for a sort time so outdoor potted plants may benefit but it seems like an awful waste of water.