We all know the heat wave is coming. Let us share ideas of ways to keep cool.

Lying in a full, cold bath is ok, but we are being told to economise on water usage.

Hope the bath water is re-used on garden or similar.

Monica I live in Central Italy and we have been suffering from excessively high temperatures for several weeks now - on Tuesday humidity will set in as well.

I went on line and bought myself several full-length kaftans: not particularly expensive and they make me feel very "Lady Muck" as I wear them all the time and everywhere WITH NOTHING UNDERNEATH. Close to bliss!

When we’re in Portugal, and temperatures are often in the high 30° or 40° we just stay out of the sun, go out early or late but not midday. Gîtes and villas often don’t have aircon, but shutters are closed against the sun and opened in the evening. I think the difference is we are never over there to work. I feel for the people who do. Teaching next week? I’m glad I’m in the computer suite all the time when there is Aircon and blinds for the windows.

I run my wrists under cold water for a few minutes as told by an old Spanish friend yrs ago it cools down your blood and lasts for quite a while.

Cooling the wrists is a classic! I learned this as a child.

The running water on the inside wrist is foolproof.

I haven't been able to sleep the past few nights, but that had more to do with the moonlight from the truly beautiful 'supermoon' shining in through the open curtains and windows. Worth being awake for.

Keeping oranges in the fridge is good, they are so refreshing when they are cold.

Sorry, M0nica but that just wouldn’t work for me. I just don’t have the patience to lie in a bath for half an hour, especially a cold one - not to mention exhausting myself lugging all that water into the garden so as not to waste it. ?.

I’ll organise my day according to how we lived in Aden which was a darned sight hotter. Up early, all jobs done before 11am, eat light meals, snack on ready salted crisps and orange juice if feeling light headed, drink plenty of water and Maw is right about tea. I’m sure that suffering from a sensitive bladder during my school years was caused by drinking copious cups every day from the age of three!

Listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs. Just be sensible.

I've just switched my day around a bit so I do more when it's cool. When it's really hot outside in the middle of the day I go into our cool north facing sitting room and have a nap - something I don't usually do during the day. I open the windows in the evening to let a nice cool breeze blow through so the bedroom is quite cool before I go to bed. I also drink tea during hot days - it always seems quite refreshing.

The thing I haven't figured out yet is how to keep my pillow cool. It seems to heat up quite quickly. Anyone tried those cool mats for pillows?

Have a siesta.

A bath towel on top of the bottom sheet at night and open windows to create a cross breeze - or howling gale depending on how you look at it and if you are my DH ?

Take all sensible precautions and don’t think about it all the time.

I’ll take away the kaftan idea, thanks. Or summer dressing gown over bra and pants , if not too gapey, which mine is.

I get heatstroke quite badly and easily (I adore the winter). Read somewhere that cooling your armpits is the best way to deal with it so in hot weather wherever I go I carry a small misting spray meant for plants and spray away. Gorgeous when aimed down the back of my neck as well as the armpits!

If it's predicted to be below 30 degrees, I'll do the usual UK windows open on the shady side thing. Above 30 though, and it's all windows, blinds and curtains firmly shut - except when (if?) it's cooler at night.

I have old white duvet covers and sheets hung across the south-facing ones (on the outside) and I wet mop the floors for evaporative cooling. Spare water goes on the flat roof too!

Too late for this week but I have a ‘Cobber’ which has silicon gel in a neckerchief. You soak in cold water for 20 mins then tie around the neck. Amazing how cool it keeps for quite a while, then put in the fridge to cool down and use again.

www.amazon.co.uk/MENO-COOL-SCARF-COOLING-CREAM/dp/B00XEBU4XA/ref=sr_1_12?crid=2AEZ12QC8M7SJ&keywords=cobber+neck+cooler&sprefix=Cobber%2Caps%2C73&tag=gransnetforum-21&qid=1657980398&sr=8-12

Currently sitting in the grandchildren’s paddling pool whilst they splash around me.

Put damp flannels in the freezer or fridge. At bedtime wrap them round your wrists.They really help to keep you cool and get a better night's sleep.

MawtheMerrier

However tempting iced drinks may be, Arabs in the desert drink their tea hot - perhaps they know something?
Anyway, tepid or cool is gentler on your system.

It encourages the body to sweat, perspire or glow (take your pick!) which then cools the body by evaporating.

Wear a hat if going outside, obviously!

I just nipped out to refill the bird bath - and yes, the big straw hat makes it bearable. The garden sprayer is at the ready for that lovely lovely fine mist to cool me down. On hot nights I spray the bed, too, before I lie on it.

Soroptimum, the 'cobber' reminds me of the neck tie worn by my Italian friend (it's just cloth dabbed with water when it dries). Still, I can't understand the 'windows open for a breeze' idea - not when it's seriously hot, as it just lets the heat indoors. Use a fan instead.

Daisymae

I'm thinking about making gazpacho. I think that the temperature needs to be 40c to contemplate cold soup?

Ooh, that’s an idea! Haven’t made it for ages.

It’s good that the media including GN are sharing ideas on how to manage the heat. But when I hear BBC News: “It is the first time a red heat warning has been issued for parts of the UK, although the extreme heat warning system was only introduced in 2021.”
That explains why so many younger people have no idea about 1976.

I passed a woman “ d’un certain âge “ today as I drove past Edgbaston cricket ground, walking her black lab on the lead - possibly on the way home from the park- but it was midday and while she was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, she had presumably given no thought to what the dog was experiencing, both from the sun and the hot pavements. ??
So a thought for our four-footed friends.

Come for a swim with me