‌☀️‌ Summer heatwave tips and tricks ‌☀️‌

[Martin-O2]

Hey everyone, 

With this being one of the hottest summers for a long time and the UK breaking the highest temperature record last month with a scorching 40c, I thought a topic on coping with the high temperatures was in order!

Unlike typically hot countries the UK housing and infrastructure is not designed for these hot temperatures so I've shared a few easy tips for keeping cool and safe whilst the strange, bright orange ball in the sky is present. 

• Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down. Electric fans can help if the temperature is below 35 degrees. Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep.

• Stay hydrated. This one may seem obvious but it's easy to underestimate how much fluids you are losing on hot days. It's recommended to drink between 1.5 and 2 litres per day on hot days. 

• Avoid alcohol. tea and coffee. Whilst the hot weather seems like the perfect time for a few rounds at the pub be careful to limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol causes dehydration, which can hit especially hard if your body is already struggling to cope with the weather. Drinking alcohol can also make it harder to get a good night's sleep, something that's already difficult in warmer temperatures. Tea and coffee are also diuretics which can cause dehydration. 

• Plan ahead. If you are planning to spend time outside, plan your day to make sure you have plenty of food, water and any medications needed and most importantly pack the sunscreen!   

Do you have any handy tips to keeping cool during this weather? We'd love to hear your suggestions and heat reducing strategies in the comments below! ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️

[J9el]

Thanks for the tip @jonsie 👍🏼 I’ll be sure not to overfill them!

[Cleoriff]

@Comben 

I am probably talking about me simply because there are many things I have to avoid due to the weird kidney problem. I have to avoid caffeine as much as possible. So the tea I drink is decaffeinated, I also avoid any drinks which have any amount of caffeine in the bottle or can.

@Breanna As for squash, we all agree the best thing to drink during a heatwave is water which is pretty boring. At least with squash, 2/3rds of the drink is water. I go one better than that and drink this which is called Squash'D.

You squeeze that little bottle, less than1 ml and fill your 750 ml drinks bottle with water. So compared to any other bottled drink, this gives you the most water. It has no added sugar, or caffeine. Tastes lovely and does come in other flavours.

[Martin-O2]

There are some really great tips here so thanks to all who contributed. While it looks like the weather will be a log cooler this week I'm sure these tips will come in handy again soon!