Why a heatwave in the UK really does feel hotter than when you’re on holiday abroad – you’re not imagining it
THOUGH the blazing sun and 30C can seem glorious after a grey start to the summer, heatwaves in the UK can feel pretty uncomfortable.
It can seem like you’ve barely stepped out the door before you’re dripping in sweat and huffing and puffing at the heat.
If you’ve spent your summer holidays in spots like Greece, Spain or Italy, you might be left wondering why surviving hot weather at home can feel like such a struggle.
But you’re not imagining it.
Sometimes heatwaves in the UK really can feel hotter that temperatures abroad, according to Jim N R Dale, founder and senior meteorologist of British Weather Services.
“For the most part, it of course isn’t hotter in the UK than tropical or sub- tropical regions,” Jim told The Sun.
But certain factors can make it feel that way, he explained.
From high levels of humidity leaving us feeling extra sticky, to how UK buildings are not designed to withstand hot weather – Jim explained why heatwaves in the UK just hit different.
1. Humidity
As Jim explained, it usually won’t get hotter in the UK than spots you might fly to for your summer hols.
“However, when humidity – the water content in the air – increases, it can feel hotter than some desert or semi-desert regions, such as parts of Morocco, Tunisia and southern Spain,” the meteorologist – and author of Weather or Not?’ and Surviving Extreme Weather – said.
“That’s mainly because the increased level of moisture in the air, say around showers or an approaching weather front, means that sweat will not easily evaporate from the skin’s surface, hence it feeling uncomfortable as the body struggles to cool down.
“It’s also why higher humidities even within comparably lower temperatures can be dangerous.”
2. Buildings aren’t designed for heat
To make matters worse, buildings in the UK might not offer much respite in hot weather.
According to Jim, the construction of houses and flats and even the colour of the materials and paint, can be pivotal in keeping cool.
“A white or lighter coloured surface will reflect back the sun’s rays into the atmosphere and remain relatively cool to touch, whilst dark surfaces absorb the sun’s rays more readily, thereby increasing temperatures markedly both on and in the home.
“In the UK we primarily build with dark materials and paint dark opposed to light, so when the sun is shining brightly on a hot day, many of our homes will be far hotter than comparable homes painted white in and around the Mediterranean, for example.”
3. Temperatures are rising
If summers – and the weather in general – feel warmer than you remember as a child, that’s because temperatures are rising.
“It is true – and not just within summers but all through the year – that UK air and sea temperatures have been on the way up, akin to global temperatures,” Jim explained, due to climate change and the use of fossil fuels.
“That doesn’t mean the UK will see blazing hot summers every summer,” he added.
“Much will depend upon where the highs and lows are, along with the jet stream which often steers Atlantic frontal systems in our direction, much as we have seen for much of the winter and spring, giving us record rainfall.
“So, there is an element of luck as to the degree of heat and how long it may last in our temperate zone.
“But it’s also fair to say that the vast bulk of the countries of the world have seen record monthly and/or all-time temperature records even in the past few months, with the hottest part of the northern hemisphere summer yet to come!
“The Earth is warming to unprecedented levels both on the land and in the oceans,” he stressed.
According to the Met Office, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have increased worldwide, with a number of major ones occurring in the UK in the past 5 years.
Each of these have seen new temperatures records set.
The Met recently issued yellow heat health alerts for most of England – warning a likely “increase in mortality across the population” up until Thursday.
The heat alerts will be in force for every region of England except the north east, which is covered by a green alert.
Heat health alerts are issued along with the UK Health Security Agency to deal with the health impacts of heat.
Tips for keeping cool in hot weather
JIM shared a range of tips on staying cool in hot weather, from how to get through hotter days and nights to a Royal Navy Hack.
- Stay out of direct sunshine – it’s cooler in the shade
- Hydrate and keep hydrating – water or better still various hydration drinks are best. As you sweat, you will lose various vital body salts, so the kind of drinks athletes might take would tend to be the most beneficial.
- Keep your skin cool – shower in cool or cold water and use cooling sprays
- Stay away from alcohol and highly caffeinated drinks – oth act to make you sweat and pee more, and your body will not be able to regulate its temperature as easily.
- Eat lighter meals – digesting huge volumes or food that takes many hours to pass through you, such as red meat or fatty foods, will make your body work harder, creating more heat.
- Wear light coloured loose-fitting clothing, made breathable material such as linen, silk and cotton. Man-made materials such as polyester and nylon trap the heat, acting more like a blanket.
- Wear a sun hat while outside, sun glasses and try expose less of the skin’s surface to the sun as possible. Vigorous exercise in the heat of the day is not be recommended; exercise or simply do your chores early or late when its much cooler.
- Draw the curtains while inside or close the blinds to keep the sun’s rays out of your home. In the evening, at night or first thing in the morning, open certain doors and/or windows to allow air to flow through your home, acting as a natural coolant. Of course, if you have a fan or air conditioning, then both will provide relief from the heat.
- Find respite in woods, forests and the seashore -they’re better places to frequent in the heat, rather than the concrete, heat-absorbing and traffic-polluted jungles of towns and cities. On a hot day, it can be up to 5 degrees C. cooler amongst the shade of the trees or taking in a cooling sea breeze.
- Put your night attire in the freezer before bed and take a cool shower, anything to reduce your skin’s surface temperature. You may also opt to sleep in the lower part of your home as heat rises. The other option (if you are able) is to sleep outside under the stars, but make sure you’ve checked the weather forecast before-hand for any potential rain or showers!
- A trick I learned about during my time in the Royal Navy in the tropics. If you are feeling hot and bothered, take a bowl of cold water and mix in some ice cubes. Then dip your fingers or toes into the bowl and leave them there for three to four minutes. Your body temperature will gradually fall by up to 1 degree C. as your internal heat dispels into the water