Stay Cool!

[AussieNeil]

It is well and truly winter here, but I gather most of this community are experiencing more heat than is welcome!

Seriously, you do not want to risk getting heat stressed, so make sure you stay well hydrated and at a comfortable temperature. I'm used to living through hot summers - we get to over 40C here in summer and the only thing good about it is that the humidity is usually relatively low. This past autumn we had a hot spell that lasted a few weeks, with the worst aspect being that it never dropped below 30C overnight. I'm usually pretty tolerant of hot conditions, but I find that since being diagnosed with CLL, my temperature regulation is not what it used to be. I got really ill with heat stress for the first time ever. I didn't feel hot, I didn't feel thirsty and got overheated and dehydrated. I felt so ill I do not want to go through that again. It knocked me around too - took me a week or so to feel OK again.

PLEASE, don't let this happen to you!

Neil

PS Please send any excess heat down my way - I'm not looking forward to paying my next electricity bill. I'll send you some fresh cool breezes in exchange. We've had 100km winds today and worst is forecast tomorrow, so there is plenty of air to spare...

[Hidden]

Hi Aussie Neil,

normally I'm asking my pal in Melbourne to sent some heat my way, makes a change to be asked to send some to you. Guess it's hitting us in the UK harder as there was very little intermediate stage. We've gone from cold to hot and its taking time to acclimatise. A few weeks ago I was thinking how much I would be paying for our heating bills. With my thermostat shot I'm dragging myself to the gym around 7am 'thank heavens for air con' then I'm either indoors with blinds and curtains drawn, or in the shade in the garden. Others are more advanced along the CLL route, so I hope they are managing to cope. Still I just love this summer weather, just being sensible.

I am amazed you get 30c in the night! THAT IS HOT!! Not sure I could cope with that. Do you find in your Winter that you cannot get warm once you've got cold ?

Thanks for the very relevant pots

Bub

[Hidden]

Oh posts not pots! perhaps the heat is getting to me.

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Melbourne has had very unseasonable weather this year - the warmest start to the year on record. They've just had a record July (winter) temperature above 23. I live in Adelaide, which is west of Melbourne and Melburnians generally get our weather a day later - with local variations (usually a degree or two cooler). Melbourne has a well deserved reputation for changeable and unseasonable weather, which is well encapsulated in the local sayings "if you don't like the weather, hang around for 10 minutes" and "Melbourne, where you can experience four seasons in a day". I frequently travelled to Melbourne on business and ALWAYS packed an umbrella. I can vouch for the four seasons in a day too.

Just heard on this morning's news that one UK town reached 37C!

Regarding staying warm in winter/cool in summer, prior to air conditioning becoming common, it was easier to warm up in winter than cool down in summer here. People visiting from the UK and America often comment that our relatively mild winters (rarely gets down to 0C) are harder to take than their own. I think that's because we don't have central heating and don't dress properly for the cold. When we get home from being out in the elements, we can come home to a cold home. There is no radiant heat from the walls/floors, so any warmth is sucked out of the air until the lived in rooms warm.

Neil