EUROPE HEAT ....does it put you off going?

Dinahmo yes my mom used to put calamine lotion on us if were a tiny bit red as there was no such thing as sunscreen in the early 50s...still love the smell and have used it myself since when I've been bitten or stung...

Lived in Trinidad as a teenager. Dad was building an oil refinery. Since then have struggled to cope with the cold. My ideal temperature is 35 degrees Celsius. I’m 72 next week and have zero energy in this cool weather. When in a humid atmosphere I come alive. I am obviously not normal.

I'm an aging redhead with white skin and so never go out in the sunshine without being covered up and I wear long sleeved linen shirts..
I remember when we we little, back in the 50s when it wasn't so hot, that my little brother had calomine lotion and bandages on his arms because he got sunburned. We wore t-shirts to keep the sum of our shoulders and the bits of our torso that didn't normally see the sun.

It seems that for as long as I can remember there have been stories about people holidaying in Greece and spending all their time looking for shade from the sun - at the most expensive time of the year.

I'm in Central France and yes its exhausting and confining from midday onwards. If I didn't live here I wouldn't holiday
here, you can't do much untill after 7 pm

NanaDana

Our overseas travelling days are over now anyway, largely due to health issues. We've lived in Singapore (5 years), and on the Algarve (11 years), so back in the day, were quite accustomed to adjusting our lifestyle according to how hot (or wet!) it got, but these record temperatures brought on by global warming are something else entirely.
Even if were fit enough, I couldn't see us wanting to brave Southern Europe, North Africa, Greece or Turkey between May and October these days, particularly as it looks as though these extremes are set to continue, if not get worse. Many of those places rely so heavily on the tourist industry, that it must be a depressing outlook for them.
On the radio yesterday a climatologist was talking about the Sahara not only encroaching further towards the North African coast, but potentially, desert conditions developing in certain parts of Southern Europe. It probably won't happen until DH and I have both shuffled off, but what a toxic legacy we are leaving to our children and Grandchildren.

There has been a desert in southern Spain for many years.

Just back from south east Turkey - 44.6C on Saturday but today was 38, felt like a huge difference. Wouldn't plan to go anywhere as hot however the norm at this time of year is 30 - 32. Fortunately at the coast and a breeze helps however at 44° the breeze is like standing in a fan oven.

I'm surprised to see on TV how many people are wearing black. Don't they know black absorbs heat?
Yes, it does put me off. We went to Mijas In May 6/7 years ago and it was baking.

After spending almost thirty years growing salad veg under glass (huge structures) I suppose I became acclimatised to raging temperatures. ( certainly couldn’t do it now) We used to holiday abroad in January each year, absolute bliss just enjoying the heat instead of working in it, but I couldn’t take the blistering heat that’s happening in most of Europe and beyond. Phew!

I will not be going to mainland Europe in the foreseeable future. With the migrants, strikes, queues, heatwaves, airport problems, I just can’t face it. May never leave Britain again.

I wouldn’t go. My son and grandchildren are due to go to the South of France soon, which he says is ‘not too bad’. Not much of a holiday if they have to spend it reading indoors in the air conditioning. They could do that at home.

Just back from a week in Malaga and it was hard work. We could not do our usual walking or sightseeing and didn’t get to Cordoba by train as planned. The heat sapped our energy. Local people were struggling as well and we are seriously considering staying in the UK next year due to crowded airports, bad manners by others and it is expensive now so we would rather give our money to our own economy. Plus we got ripped off with the apartment we booked but that is another story!!!

Watched Animal Park and the suffering of animals and rescue of same due to the extreme heat bless the people who dedicate their time and expense to helping them...

TanaMa

I worry about all the animals trying to find shade and water.

Yes, we've only seen people so far and they don't have to be out
in the sun.

I can just about cope with 30/31 degrees, provided it's not too humid. but am much happier around the 25 degrees mark. There's no way I'd voluntarily visit anywhere which threatened to be anywhere near 40 or above. Where's the pleasure in having to take refuge inside an air-conditioned building all the time?

If this trend continues the tourist industry will have to make major changes to what has always been the accepted calendar. The late Autumn, Winter and early Spring months may become peak holiday season. Summers in Southern Europe could become a write off.

Air conditioning contributes to global warming if the electricity comes from the burning of fossil fuel.
It's a vicious circle.

Can anyone explain how some people can deal with temperatures in the 30s and upwards, but others cannot tolerate above 25 degrees comfortably? I am one of the latter, dislike humidity and was brought up in Edinburgh. Does one's childhood influence heat toleration? I am glad my travelling days took me to southern Spain, Italy and Turkey before rapid climate warming. At 86, I know high temperatures are unwise.

I worry about all the animals trying to find shade and water.

We had a holiday in Florida. It was unbearably hot. Some locals were wearing hats that sprayed cold water on their faces. There were also cold water sprays you could stand under. We spent our time in buildings with air con or in our car. Waste of a holiday.

red1

yes, 20 c is the ideal temp for humans,over 40c ? what do they say about mad dogs and english people, heard on radio, blow torch brits, something wrong with people wanting to go to that heat.

The ones being interviewed aren't British.

you need to have the Salt which you wil Sweat out during the day.
Yes, I think people avoid salt for health reasons but it is essential in very hot climates.

When I was younger I loved any amount of heat but these days I wouldn't like extreme heat. I can't see the point in going somewhere if I'm going to not feel like doing anything and not feel like eating.

yes, 20 c is the ideal temp for humans,over 40c ? what do they say about mad dogs and english people, heard on radio, blow torch brits, something wrong with people wanting to go to that heat.

What I don't see people mentioning is sleeping. Some years ago I was in Portugal when it was so hot the Portugese were complaining. Now the Portugese eat way after dark with restaurants OPENING at 1:00 am with many Salty dishes as you need to have the Salt which you wil Sweat out during the day. If you don't you wil be really ill. But lack of proper sleep makes you feel unable to do anything after a few days.

well, as someone living in southern France (where it is already 38o) I would say stay away. Irrespective of the discomfort (we are fortunate to have an old house with walls 1.5m thick, many newer buildings are like ovens) cheap flights to Europe are a major contributing factor, roads on the coast are jammed, the infrastructure cannot support it. See Simon Kuper's excellent article in last w/e's FT.

It doesn’t even have to be hot for fires, just dry. We had a spate of them in Wales last year. It’s really very worrying.