We're not setup for hot weather, so we resort to all kinds of things to keep us and our homes cool.

Apart from ordering fans from Amazon, what else have you been doing to keep cool?

My mum always said to drink hot drinks in hot weather to regulate temperature. This was not her wisest advice.

Yeah, a cup of tea will make you feel cooler... trust me...

I guess that's like taking brandy to the hyperthermic people being rescued from avalanches...

1. Block sunlight coming in windows. Ideally with exterior blinds or reflective material on the glass. Interior blinds block light but not heat.

2. AC circulation. If your AC isn't hooked to your forced air than you'll want to circulate the air in your house to bring down the average.

3. Vent thorugh windows at night. Wait until it's below 20C and open at least 2 windows. Use a fan to force more airflow.

4. Hang out in the basement.

5. Upgrade your roof/windows. If you're from a warm climate your house probably isn't well insulated to keep heat in during winter; which also means that it doesn't keep heat out. Newer windows block UV light and have a higher R value which prevents heat from the air against the glass.

6. Plant climbing/creeping plants. They will absorb sunlight that would hit your house/etc and can create a micro climate several degrees cooler than the ambient temp.

7. Avoid wearing cotton and dark colours.

8. Wear a 360 large brim hat and sunscreen. Some of the "hot" sensation is actually UV damage.

Sorry to crash this as an American, but we have months of 45°C temperatures here in Texas with a really humid climate, so I might be able to offer some advice.

One summer my AC was out entirely for about a month. I survived by positively soaking a sleeveless tank in ice water and sitting around in that until it wasn't cooling me anymore and then soaking it again.

I recently found some ice packs that go around the neck, and they really work miracles for lowering one's body temperature. I always keep one in the freezer now for when I get back from a walk.

I think you mean 35°C? 45°C is 113°F.

Thanks, my estimate was a little bit off; I'm terminally America-brained.

It's months of over 100°F to 110°F (38°C - 43°C) here, but it does spike up there, and the heat index does regularly get that high.

Pretty much everyone here has AC though.

We get regular temperatures in the south west, Arizona specifically, over 120°F. The summer I moved away it was 133°F for three fucking days.

The local paper kept a count on the front page for how many days the temperature didn’t drop below 100°F, and that includes the overnight temp.

Did she also advise to wear a coat so you feel the benefit?

If your AC

Lol, what AC?

Hang out in the basement

Lol, what basement?

Upgrade your roof / windows

Lol, with what money?

I say this in jest really, I appreciate the list. Your point about insulation has already made national news due to the protest group Insulate Britain attempting to push the government into insulating all social housing. Instead the government clamped down on the right to protest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulate_Britain_protests

No probs!

I lived in Houston for a couple of years so I knew it was a bit off. I wouldn't have lasted my first summer if 45°C was normal!

Hey maybe buy an AC. Ever thought of that? /s

Do you know what they're really worried about with global warming? Social unrest as people inevitably start starving and dying.

They don't give a fuck that you're dying, just that you might cause "issues" as more people do.

I think Houston has a bit cooler temperature from Dallas due to the proximity to the ocean, but the humidity more than makes up for it.

It's just impossible to cool down in that kind of climate.

Refer to my previous answer:

Lol, with what money?

You're sending me words so you either have hands or a mouth that's ready to work. Go earn it. /s

Ah, so that's why I have you tagged in red as "Twat".

I couldn't remember why and chose to ignore it, I see now that was a silly thing to do.

Microfiber clothes soaked in ice chest and or dampened and frozen.

Wrap around your neck until it reaches ambient temp. Rinse and repeat (swapping out another one).

Some cultures think that you should drink the opposite temperature. But if you look at what happens when you drink hot stuff, it doesn’t sound that crazy. Hot stuff makes you sweat. Sweat, when hot by dry air molecules, releases energy. That process cools you down.

I have a hot bath every night, about 42-43 degrees c whatever the weather.

It sounds counterintuitive but a hot bath at the right time triggers your thermoregulatory system and you'll cool rapidly when you get out. It doesn't last long but I've noticed it.

Apart from that, a 2l frozen water bottle in front of a large fan at bedtime and blackout material on all the bedroom windows throughout the day.

You got a mouth that doesn't stop so I don't get why you don't have money dude.

That just sounds like evaporative cooling from your skin drying.

The hottest temperature ever recorded on earth was 130 degrees, in Death Valley. I think your thermometer might have been a little off.

Not in the UK, but a native desert dweller with some advice. I have two neck wraps that have polymer beads in them (they absorb water and hold it). These work great to keep on your neck. https://koolgator.com/product/cooling-neck-wrap/

I also have a hood that I soak and then wear to help cool my head. https://www.mission.com/products/cooling-hoodie-towel

When I do have to be outside for extended periods of time I wear thin light colored clothing that exposes as little skin as possible. Our IV index here in New Mexico is brutal, unsure about yours.

That's the second part of it, but if it was just that putting room temperature water on you would cool you down. Your blood vessels near the skin widen in hot water (vasodilation), and hotter water results in better evaporative cooling once you get out.

That makes sense and I'm too uneducated to know if you're wrong, so I'm gonna accept that.

Swamp Cooler.

https://www.itsoverflowing.com/diy-swamp-cooler/

Just going by what the bank thermometer said around town.

The official highest recorded temperature is now 56.7°C (134°F), which was measured on 10 July 1913 at Greenland Ranch in Death Valley, California, USA.

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-recorded-temperature

Ice packs, the ones you put in picnic bags to keep the food cold.

I sit on one or put it in my lap during the day, and put another in bed with me at night. Great between the thighs for maximum cooling. Wrap it in a pillow case or towel or something so you don't have it directly against your skin when it's fully frozen.

Remember, while swamp coolers are ideal for dry climates, they may not be as effective in areas with high humidity.

🤔 hmmm... checks sensors.. 80% humidity...

Blowing on it really hard

FWIW, in all my years in kitchens across the globe, one of the few culturally organic commonalities across them all was the tradition of taking a kitchen towel; arranging a long pile of ice cubes across its center and rolling it up tightly; securing with twist-ties, rubber bands, butcher string, etc. (even butterfly clips!) Then, draping it across the back of the neck, and tucking the ends into either side of the collar.

Boom! Instant cool, refreshing relief, straight to the dome via the pulminary system. (it cools the neck first, and shortly after, the head and chest) Bonus: the eventual drench as it melts isn't a bad thing considering you're already sweaty AF and helps cool you off too!

Plus, it makes you look like you're obviously working really hard —what, with your uniform so saturated and all, from you neck down your back. 🤪

You’re quite right. I’d forgotten how swiftly the years pass for your kind, it's been decades since I last looked. A new record? How wonderful!

Meh, humidity gets redundant at a certain point. Cool mist is almost always a win.

Hang out in the bathroom lol, not in Europe but if the AC goes out that's what I do. Not sure why but bathroom is always the coolest room naturally.

He did not make any errors. Texas routinely gets over 40C all over the state. I have experienced it in Johnson City as well as in Houston

My tried and tested technique of living in Shetland seems to be working.

Nope, the highs are mid to high 30s in Texas.

https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/Texas/temperature-august.php

It’s fine advice if you’re not doing a bunch of labor on a hot day, it’s good for chilling in shade with a breeze where you’re not sweating as hard

I remember going to the office we have in Phoenix on a February (years ago...) and that was a hot day for me... and 1 of the locals came in to work with a jumper on 🤯🦞

Hmm, good idea. I think my icepacks are in the shed... I'll get them out before it's 40DegC in there again

I should migrate there in the summer...

It's a good room to be in... all the conveniences...

Yeah, someone's putting cardboard and tinfoil up on the outside of their windows, propped up by brooms,etc...

I'm just waiting for a gust of wind...

Desperate times eh?

I taped a couple of those reflective insulated car dashboard sun covers to the bottom of my sliding deck doors to keep the sun from cooking the floor inside. Has the dual benefit of reducing heat loss during the winter.

I’m just another imposter. Same brutal heat but think 90+% humidity… gotta come prepared

Been building an offgrid two story cabin out in the middle of the woods. Realize this is a choice and one not many would make but I know a few things about mitigation here.

If we weren't complete individualistic morons we would have district heating and even district cooling. You can produce chilled water with high grade waste heat with a absorber chillers. They use 1-3% as much electricity as the same capacity compressive cooler.

Paired with a soapstone sand battery you can sink over productive renewables (instead of shorting solar panels or stopping wind turbines) into high grade heat you can use later for winter heating or summer cooling.

Have you tried submerging your entire living space in mineral oil?

No, I can't say I've heard of that one...

Is that something you've tried? I can imagine additional Health & Safety issues would arise ...?

Just looked up the soapstone thing... looks like Finland did a good job with one recently