‘Thousands of deaths’

RedRidingHood

Smileless2012

It's ridiculous. Some of us have been remembering the heatwave in 1976 and it went on for weeks. This is just for a few days.

It's sometimes better to ignore the news Honeysuckleberries if it upsets and scares you. Try not to worry .

I remember 1976 very well.
It was different to this. Hot and sunny for six weeks but not this hot.

Your memory’s failed you RedRidingHood. The drought in 1976 lasted for two months, there were 16 consecutive days where the temperature was above 30 degrees, and the hottest day was 35.9 degrees. It’s hotter this year, but nowhere near as prolonged or consistently hot - nor does the forecast say it will be.

My mum would always take Andrews Liver Salts in hot weather on the basis that the sun meant you needed more salt in your blood. Always thought it was rubbish, but yesterday I was so hot I tried it. Made no difference.

Smileless2012

It's ridiculous. Some of us have been remembering the heatwave in 1976 and it went on for weeks. This is just for a few days.

It's sometimes better to ignore the news Honeysuckleberries if it upsets and scares you. Try not to worry .

I remember 1976 very well.
It was different to this. Hot and sunny for six weeks but not this hot.

Thank you Karmalady and Dickens for your advice.

I have been told to drink but nobody has given me a specific amount, how often and whether I should drink quickly or slowly sip it!

Maybe that's because they know you are sick of advice.

Every person is different - it depends on your weight, current illnesses, how much heat you're in, how hydrated you are to start with, how much time you spend in the sun.

I have not altered my routine at all this week. Yesterday I worked on my business in the morning (computer based) and in the hottest part of the day I went to bed and slept naked on top of the covers with a large rotating fan on. Im typing this wearing only flip flops and a smile. Needless to say no visitors expected and none will be acknowledged if they are foolish enough to knock on my door.

I live on the East Coast- so temp is a bit cooler than inland obvs. Just been out in the car and the number of people making their way to the beach, or are already on the beach is astounding- lots of working from home going on it would seem. The car park near to the beach is full and cars are parked up both sides of nearby roads. Not exactly staying home and keeping cool indoors, although I appreciate being by the sea is cooler but that is sirely as long as you keep in the shade of umbrella, wear a hat etc.

Everyone at my work has had their working hours changed this week so they don't work in the hottest hours, which is sensible.
what is wrong with being sensible and taking advice offered by scientists?

I don't think anyone cares about your holiday temperatures, it isn;t relevant

One of the biggest problems is getting the elderly to drink water. Especially in this weather, my Mum was a nightmare.

Forlornhope

I’ve had what I can only describe as ‘funny turns’ walking in warm weather over the last two or three years so I can believe heat can play a part in finishing you off. When I’m affected a drink and a bag of crisps sorts me out. I put it down to old age but it’s a flipping nuisance.

Salt draws fluid into the cells - where it's needed and if you're drinking fluids and eating crisps, that's what's happening and why it "sorts" you out.

I have a medical condition (which I won't go into) which means that I have to add salt to the fluids I drink (mostly isotonic). The John Radcliffe in Oxford (intestinal rehabilitation unit) advised me to do this for that reason - so basically, what you are doing is the right thing to do, and you're probably doing it instinctively because that's what you fancy - but could also be your body telling you it needs more salt in this weather.

You'll feel even better if you get a couple of packets of Dioralyte and have one or two throughout the day... you will get the electrolytes you need. It is one of the best 'pick me ups' around, I promise.

Thing is those with common sense will use it, those without it will ignore the repeated advice and suggestions.

Sadly this is so true. It won’t happen to me mentality.

Melotgran
Look on the bright side: no washing up and cleaning away ?
Every cloud has a silver lining.

considering how often people ignore warnings about taking dogs out in the heat or leaving dogs in cars, keeping on going is maybe not a bad thing. I've been with people who've not taken water when they have been travelling or just out for a long day.Despite all the warnings people don't use sunscreen if they plan to be out in the hot sun. My ILs were sun worshippers and didn't use creamand kept having skin cancers. I remember MIL the day after having yet another one cut off lying in the hot summer sun again with no cream on, the same ILs who let my son get severely sunburnt once when he stayed. Some will ignore the advice but no reason not to share it
I remember a friend who'd spent some years in Africa, complaining in the summer heat because Britain is so very bad for shade compared to Africa, the school playground being totally devoid of it. Hot countries are set up to deal with heat, from siestas and business hours to the architecture and/or aircon. So saying well people in hot countries manage and don't have excess deaths is not helpful. Maybe the vulnerable know what to do because their parents and grandparents bring them up knowing and society makes it easy for them. Or maybe they die and we don't know- survivor bias. Just read this The death of a street cleaner after he suffered heat stroke while working has led Madrid’s town hall to give its street cleaners the option of working in the evenings to avoid the worst spells of the day
How much to drink - look at your wee. The amounts are for children, but the colour is relevant to adults too cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0604/7016/5717/files/hydrationchartprinttopdfversion.pdf?v=1645813980

Some posters should remember that not everything is aimed at them personally. Not everyone has the same environment and lifestyle that they have and not everybody has lived as long as them so won't be as knowledgeable as they are. Sadly it's probably true that the people who need the warnings are also less likely to heed them, or even notice them.

In 2020 2,556 people in the UK died from heat related illness during the Summer months, even more than in 2003. On top of that there are about an extra 12000 hospitalisations during the Summer months so there is an additional strain on the NHS.

In icy weather we get warnings about the ice, snow and very low temperatures and we have to assess whether, given our own capabilities, it is safe to go out walking or driving. When we go away we get tips about making sure our car is safe. A heatwave is no different.

MerylStreep

Merlotgran
I like your style ? Have a lovely evening ?

Well, I’ve had to climb down off my high horse as DD has been messaging me from work insisting that I postpone because she’d never forgive herself if I ended up back in hospital and she hadn’t tried to stop me ‘slogging away in a hot kitchen.’ ?

However, I took a leaf out of her Majesty’s book and selected a Fell pony. Much lower to the ground but better for throwing your weight about!

DD lives ten minutes away with a big house and garden, which she insists is cooler than my small bungalow so I’ve suggested I pack it all up and decamp to hers. I’m buggered if all my hard work is going to be wasted - not to mention all those bl**dy cheeses!

Always good to have a Plan B! ?

I like the American lady they interviewed on a news article yesterday. She said she'd lived in America and so found the fuss we're making of a couple of days of heat very funny indeed.

Crossed posts about facing babies and talking to them!

Callistemon21

karmalady

ooh a large sprung pram with a beautiful canopy and a tray underneath the pram for the shopping, nostalgic

And a toddler seat which fitted on the pram too, and toddler always needed to sit on the pram when we got to the bottom of the hill on the way home! "My legs are tired now".
Pushing pram, baby, toddler and a trayful of shopping up a steep hill - how did I do it?

I lost a lot of weight pushing a baby and a toddler up and down hills (then we moved to a less hilly part of town, so it didn't last, unfortunately...).

Pushing a baby girl in a summer dress and sunhat in a pram with a proper canopy was one of my great pleasures. The babies were old enough in summertime to sit up and look around, and because they face you in an old-fashioned pram, you can talk to them too. Happy days!

Karmalady Interesting your comment about outward facing pushchairs. Some years ago there was some research on the effect they had on children. When we were young and in either a pram or a pushchair we faced our parent and they talked to us.

M0nica

Oldnproud The 30,000 excess deaths in Europe, 14,000 in France in the 2003 heatwave hit the headlines all over the world.

In countries where the weather is always hot the whole built environment and daily life style is geared to keeping cool. In northern Europe where colder weather predominates , housing and our lifestyle is adapted to keeping warm.

A prolonged cold snap in a hot country, with houses built to lose heat would be just as devastating as the excessive heat is in this country and others where our houses and lifestyles are geared to keep us warm.

These silly comparisons shed no credit on those who make them.

Exactly.

On Breakfast TV on Saturday Chris Smith (Dr Tanktop) did a very good job of explaining what happens to our bodies in extreme heat and what to do to counteract the effects of the heat. He was talking science but explained in lay man's terms. Did you know that the brain monitors the amount of salts in the blood? I didn't.

It was in the last half hour I think should you wish to watch it on I-Player.

Urmstongran

And (especially in this heat - it’s already 34°C here now at 11am!) I notice how many mums with toddlers walk at their pace, striding along, while the poor littlies are pretty much jogging to keep up! Lots of mummies using their walks to be on their phones and some are really not aware.

sickening, how they don`t use the opportunity to talk to their children. I passed one the other day, forward facing pushchair, engrossed on her phone and ignoring her child. Both are missing out

MerylStreep

Callistemon
how did I do it Youth ?

Because I was less than half my age now ?

And (especially in this heat - it’s already 34°C here now at 11am!) I notice how many mums with toddlers walk at their pace, striding along, while the poor littlies are pretty much jogging to keep up! Lots of mummies using their walks to be on their phones and some are really not aware.

nanna8

Oh what’s wrong with people ? What about the majority of countries in the world where we have very hot weather every single year ? I haven’t heard of large numbers of deaths because of it, even in ‘third world’ countries. Load of rubbish. Of course there will be a few, just as there are when it is freezing cold. They need to get a life.

As has been pointed out above thousands of elderly people died in France back in 2003. The Met Office estimated that there were 20,000 excess deaths in Europe but apparently peer reviewed analysis put the figure at 70,000.

Sadly one of the reasons for the high number was that families were on holiday leaving their elderly relatives behind. It's one of the reasons why so much attention is being paid to the effects of extreme heat now.

Where I live we've had temperatures in excess of 100F for several days (taken from a thermometer in the shade) but we have retro fitted a combined heat/air con system in part of our house. We all move into our largest bedroom/office which is kept cool when we use it. The dogs love it.

Thunder and rain predicted for tonight which the dogs hate but the garden will love it.