Last year, at the end of June, we went to Malta; the whole family. It was hot. But then, so was England. I remember we left in 33ºC and came back to 32ºC. My poor husband was wilting. I must say that it wasn’t helped by the hangover he had, owing to the two-for-the-price-of-one limoncellos he’d had in happy hour and the two bottles of champagne he and the girls shared afterwards. All three of them were very much the worse for wear as we got on the plane and I felt extremely smug as I recollected the ginger and mint lemonade I’d imbibed the night before while they were drinking champagne. I pretended sympathy, but inside I was smirking.

Some of us love the heat and others find it difficult. I’m someone who loves it and it’s rarely too hot for me. When it got to 40ºC a couple of years ago, then that was slightly too warm but generally I’m fine with the heat. No, what really affects me is the humidity. At times like this, I really wish I was at the coast. It is always a few degrees cooler at the coast, which is not the point, but it is fresher and there is always a sea breeze to move the air.

Last night, it was too warm, even in the chiller department, for me to wear my fleece. But back in the warehouse it was much warmer and very close. It was no surprise that, while I was checking the milk, the thunder rolled. I could hear it above the noise of the refrigeration unit.  The manager on duty opened the back doors and the rest of the staff stood and watched the lightning. I was jealous when I heard, as I love a good storm. It certainly freshened things up a bit.

We had a mini heatwave a couple of weeks ago. My mother, at 89, was not aware of how much she needed to drink - she got heat stroke and a UTI. She was so ill, we had to call the doctor out and quite frankly, we feared for her life. This time around, she is sitting in the cool of the orchard and the farm worker who doubles up as her carer will insist that she drinks enough. My brother has bought her an air conditioning unit too.

Americans tend to be amazed that here in the UK we don’t all have air conditioning – but heat waves are usually rare – although they are becoming more common – and only last a short time.

How do you cope with the heat? Do you keep the curtains drawn on the sunny side of the house? Do you sleep on top of the bedclothes? Do you remember to drink enough water? Are there any other tips you’d like to share? And most importantly, how does the heat affect your mental health?

Mary

A Moodscope member