Woman Who Has Lived In Spain And Australia Shares Useful Tips On How To Survive A Heatwave And They Go Viral
Summer is many people’s favorite time of the year. A whole season of long days to pack in as many barbecues, trips to the lake and nights around a campfire as possible. Watermelons are juicier and sweeter than ever, and you might even get to take a week off from work to enjoy a trip. But along with all of the perks of the summer season comes the dreaded hot weather. Some countries live for the heat, if their residents find themselves wearing sweaters for more than half of the year. But for those of us who are not accustomed to warm weather or simply despise it, we can probably learn a thing or to about how to manage without burning to a crisp.
Earlier this week, author N J Simmonds tweeted out her best tips for surviving in the summer heat, and we wanted to share them with all of you. Below, you can read all of her recommendations, as well as some of the replies her viral Twitter thread has received, and maybe they will help you become a slightly less sweaty panda. So grab a popsicle, blast that fan towards your face, and enjoy this article. Then if you’re looking for even more tips for surviving a heatwave with your sanity in tact, check out this Bored Panda piece next.
In light of the heat wave currently striking the UK, author N J Simmonds recently shared her best tips for keeping cool in the summer
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For people that have always lived in warm climates, these tips might seem like second nature. But some people that have never had to consider buying an air conditioner or doing much more than opening the windows in the summer might suddenly be feeling hotter than they have ever been. Currently, the UK is bracing for one of the worst heat waves they have ever had. According to the Royal Meteorological Society, “Temperatures in the UK have never reached 40 C (or 104 F) since records began. But at the end of June 2022, for the first time ever, weather forecast models started to show it as a possibility for mid-July.”
She also highlighted some of the most helpful replies from readers
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If you are from Texas or Spain, you might be laughing at how concerned Brits are about this heat wave. Sure, they’ll be uncomfortable for a few days, but it’s not like they experience temperatures like this for months every year. But what is more concerning than the fact that many people are unprepared for this weather is the fact that climate change is only getting worse and worse. The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK (38.7 C) happened only 3 years ago, but they might set a new record soon. And this is happening all over the world. During the summer of 2021, Death Valley in California broke the record for the highest temperature ever recorded on the planet, at 54.4 C (or 130 F).
Many chimed in with the best advice they’ve learned from spending time in warm climates
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We can all manage being a little sweatier or more uncomfortable than usual this summer, but the frightening reality is that this summer might be the new normal. With global temperatures rising, even countries like the UK might need to get used to following all of these tips to keep cool. Thankfully, there are experts out there like N J to help people from cooler climates navigate these brutal heat waves. Let us know in the comments how you feel about this crazy heat, and if you know any other pointers for keeping cool in the summer, feel free to share them with your fellow pandas.
Others commented that they appreciated the thread and shared how they feel about the heat
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Swamp coolers, and the like, are OK in dry climates but are counter productive in humid ones.
I'm off to fact check "cold drinks are bad for your throat" and "gulping water doesn't hydrate you."
Running coaches advise runners to drink cold drinks - and even before hot races, you can precool yourself by drinking cold drinks. It does help cool you down. Your body temperature rises during exercise and when it's hot and you have no AC it's a similar problem, you need to keep down the body temperature. I live in AZ. When I go running when it's hot out I put ice water in my hydration pack and I can run so much longer and more comfortably. It works.
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I need to disagree with the cold showers. They make you warmer in the long term because your capilars close and you loose less heat. The best is room temperature showers so you dont get hot but your capillars remain big and release more heat. One great thing is wearing wet socks. I know, it sounds gross but it cools you down immensely. Your feet get really hot and if they are cooler you feel really much better. So when you are in the sofa or in bed get some small socks and soak them in water. The evaporation will cool you down a lot. Plus if you put them in front of a fan. Just dont touch electronics...
A bunch of things mentioned in that Twitter thread are scientifically incorrect. The cold showers / not showering hot is one of them, the no hot food and no hot drinks another one. Does a cold shower feel good? Certainly, but the effects are very short term, and the you'll just be left with a worse regulated body temperature. I heard switching between hot and cold water can help with circulation.
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Swamp coolers, and the like, are OK in dry climates but are counter productive in humid ones.
I'm off to fact check "cold drinks are bad for your throat" and "gulping water doesn't hydrate you."
Running coaches advise runners to drink cold drinks - and even before hot races, you can precool yourself by drinking cold drinks. It does help cool you down. Your body temperature rises during exercise and when it's hot and you have no AC it's a similar problem, you need to keep down the body temperature. I live in AZ. When I go running when it's hot out I put ice water in my hydration pack and I can run so much longer and more comfortably. It works.
Load More Replies... I need to disagree with the cold showers. They make you warmer in the long term because your capilars close and you loose less heat. The best is room temperature showers so you dont get hot but your capillars remain big and release more heat. One great thing is wearing wet socks. I know, it sounds gross but it cools you down immensely. Your feet get really hot and if they are cooler you feel really much better. So when you are in the sofa or in bed get some small socks and soak them in water. The evaporation will cool you down a lot. Plus if you put them in front of a fan. Just dont touch electronics...
A bunch of things mentioned in that Twitter thread are scientifically incorrect. The cold showers / not showering hot is one of them, the no hot food and no hot drinks another one. Does a cold shower feel good? Certainly, but the effects are very short term, and the you'll just be left with a worse regulated body temperature. I heard switching between hot and cold water can help with circulation.
Load More Replies...
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