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

Wear a hat if going outside, obviously!

I always wear a hat after burning my scalp while living in Australia - took years to get my scalp and hair back into a good condition. So I can't understand why in really hot weather so few women wear hats. I have quite a wide brim one that helps protects my neck and top of my back as well. I see a few men in hats or baseball caps but rarely see other women wear one.

100% Egyption cotton bed sheets/pillow cases.
I never go outside when the weather is like it is.

heard on radio: put clean towel in freezer/fridge and then wrap it around pillow, to have a cooler head when trying to sleep.

Warm and comfortable here in Lancashire. I'm smug. Xxx

Well, this is what I have been doing since summer started here and it’s been quite warm here. Be home from your morning walk before 11 am, take an umbrella to keep the sun off your head (hats are too hot for me), take a flask of fluids every time you go out and drink a big cup or glass every hour whether inside or out.

It’s lovely here had two sea swims today and spent the afternoon on the beach with an ice cream with a choclate flake

We’re in Iceland. It’s wet and windy. Need I say more ?

Have you tried the temperature in Sainsbury’s?

Our fridge/freezer has no room for a flannel, certainly not a towel, all full up.

One good thing about this current hot spell is that it’s likely to be very short lived.
My BBC weather app is showing 38 deg Monday and Tuesday but 25 deg Wednesday and then low to mid twenties for the next ten days.
Thankfully we aren’t in the extreme red zone.

Yes supermarkets are wonderful places to browse in, and if a cold drink in the coffee shop is included, a couple of hours or so can be passed very pleasantly.

Many years ago, when I was a small child, we went to a part of the Middle East where there was minimal medical care. My parents were briefed before we left by our company doctor, who told them that a fizzy drink from a can or bottle with an added pinch of salt provides the right proportions of salt, glucose and water to rehydrate in hot weather. Since bottling and canning plants use sterilised water, there was no risk of picking up any bugs. To this day, fizzy pop doesn’t taste quite right to me without the added salt!

thank goodness that the weather in Scotland is unlikely to ever reach the temperatures predicted for other areas further south. But on some days here it does sometimes get too hot just the same. I usually try to be outside in the fresh air rather than indoors where I find I just get drowsy and lethargic whereas if I can sit outside in the shade with knitting or a book I feel much better. I usually just drink hot tea or an occasional can of fizz.

Cooking towels- lifesavers with superhot weather

Hithere

Cooking towels- lifesavers with superhot weather

Hi there Hithere - did you mean cooling towels?

loft open at night when inside is warmer than out

damp t towels in front of fan

shade in front of sunny windows

linen sheets

If your curtains are thin, masking tape and some wallpaper etc taped onto the glass

Need is to keep the suns rays out or they start to heat up any thermal mass in the house and it all acts like giant storage heaters

I was up an hour ago and all windows and doors are open, house has already cooled a fair bit.

clarifying. Shade in front of sunny windows, should have said shade outside sunny windows, to stop solar hitting the glass

Kaftans are pure bliss. I made two last year. Linen or linen/viscose. Easy to make, perhaps a project to aim for as this heat is repeating every year

The birds need water, they are desperate. I filled my solar water feature with another can of water yesterday. There are birds on it all the time

Daisymae

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

Daisymae Gazpacho! Yum!

You wouldn't happen to have the Robert Carrier recipe, would you? I used to make that years ago and it is marvellous, but have lost the book. Google doesn't give it free either.

This may be going too far, but I’ve just put the parasol up and moved the smaller garden pots underneath it to try to stop them dehydrating so quickly. I watered them morning and evening yesterday, but they still looked a bit fragile this morning.

Make sure you never leave any kids/ pets in the car even for 2 minutes. Every year we get people doing this here in Australia and tragic deaths result. The inside of a car quickly reaches 60+ degrees with the windows closed.

spending the day in any large supermarket with cafeteria seating area.

I'm a skinny Minnie and the heat doesn't trouble me too much. Our house is generally nice and cool which is a bonus and we have turned the Aga right down.
BUT - and sorry if this is TMI - I always go commando when its hot. That works for me.

www.walmart.com/ip/frogg-toggs-Chilly-Mini-Cooling-Wrap-Sports-Towel-SIZE-3-X-29/177795744?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=2799&adid=22222222278177795744_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-293946777986&wl5=9007575&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=177795744&wl13=2799&veh=sem_LIA&gclid=CjwKCAjw5s6WBhA4EiwACGncZX0inoj44acUm2zAryv5byFAfg_aUUVV1_t9S1hQim_YqYbxBEQPGxoCG9IQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

They come in all sizes.
They absorbe lots of water and put them on your neck

We open windows and doors until about 0930. Then we shut all shutters and windows and keep blinds closed. Downstairs is only 22° even though it is 30°and the tiled floor is still cool. Tomorrow will be 40°.
Upstairs gets hotter so we run that air conditioning for a few hours at a time. Tonight will probably be the first night when we need the a/c all night.
When we moved in we had reversible aircon / heating units installed. Very glad we did!