How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Jun 27th 2009, 6:33 pm
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2006
Location: Galicia
Posts: 3,140
How to beat the hot weather UK style.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...k-1721191.html
Forecast for only two days of hot weather and they publish some advice that is a bit eccentric, to say the least.
Forecast for only two days of hot weather and they publish some advice that is a bit eccentric, to say the least.
Jun 27th 2009, 8:18 pm
#2
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
* People with serious health problems (for example heart conditions), should avoid going out in the heat, especially between 11am and 3pm.
* Drink cold drinks such as water or fruit juice regularly and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
* Stay tuned to the weather forecast and plan ahead with supplies - think of elderly neighbours who may need help.
* Keep plenty of water to hand and stay in the shade where possible.
* Identify the coolest room in the house to use as a room to cool down or sleep in.
Pretty good advice really.
Not sure why they have said it will only last 2 days, its not dropped bellow 22 for the last 10 days here in Dartmoor, and still no rain.
* Drink cold drinks such as water or fruit juice regularly and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
* Stay tuned to the weather forecast and plan ahead with supplies - think of elderly neighbours who may need help.
* Keep plenty of water to hand and stay in the shade where possible.
* Identify the coolest room in the house to use as a room to cool down or sleep in.
Pretty good advice really.
Not sure why they have said it will only last 2 days, its not dropped bellow 22 for the last 10 days here in Dartmoor, and still no rain.
Jun 28th 2009, 6:49 am
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
I use the same advice for Spain too, it's essential. We've got our first visitors arriving shortly, including a six-year old grandson. and I worry constantly, it's so difficult to keep a youngster out of the sun between 11 and 3, and even with a hat and smothered in factor 25, he still wants to go into the cooling water.
When I walked past the Chemist yesterday morning, it was showing 39 degrees at 11am. I'm already praying for September rain.
When I walked past the Chemist yesterday morning, it was showing 39 degrees at 11am. I'm already praying for September rain.
Jun 28th 2009, 8:48 am
#4
Not Banned (yet)
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Madrid
Posts: 6,400
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
been plenty of rain where I´m based (Cowley); in fact there was a major rainstorm last night - to be expected as it's Glastonbury weekend! But it certainly is hot this morning (I dropped the missus off at a car boot) and I reckon there's going to be cases of sun burn and sun stroke today. The fact is the UK is not used to temperatures of 28C+ , most things aren't built to withstand the heat (the London underground is particularly nasty when it gets hot). The hot weather advice is needed here as we're not used to hot spells.
Jun 28th 2009, 9:51 am
#5
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Whatever it is, the UK seems to come unglued as soon as it departs from the average.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
Jun 28th 2009, 1:02 pm
#6
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Whatever it is, the UK seems to come unglued as soon as it departs from the average.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
That was risky, a little bit longer and you could of left yourself open to all sorts of problems, read about dehydration.
When I first came over I worked too long with the sun on my kneck, and went home with a stinking headache, I had a cold bath and drunk loads of water and it took about an hour to recooperate.
I thought a man of your integrity would know better, dehydration starts as soon as more water leaves the body than goes in, so as soon as you start to sweat and don`t have a drink then you are on the way down.
Jun 28th 2009, 6:48 pm
#7
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
That was risky, a little bit longer and you could of left yourself open to all sorts of problems, read about dehydration.
When I first came over I worked too long with the sun on my kneck, and went home with a stinking headache, I had a cold bath and drunk loads of water and it took about an hour to recooperate.
I thought a man of your integrity would know better, dehydration starts as soon as more water leaves the body than goes in, so as soon as you start to sweat and don`t have a drink then you are on the way down.
When I first came over I worked too long with the sun on my kneck, and went home with a stinking headache, I had a cold bath and drunk loads of water and it took about an hour to recooperate.
I thought a man of your integrity would know better, dehydration starts as soon as more water leaves the body than goes in, so as soon as you start to sweat and don`t have a drink then you are on the way down.
That last sentance is, I am very sorry to say, very poorly thought out. So, a 13 stone person, with a leeway of up to 6 LITRES of sweat that he can lose before feeling bad, is measureably below par as soon as he has sweated out the first 10 ccs? Oh do come on.
The point I am trying to make is this, and before you jump on what I am saying, do think it thru carefully this time.
The average adult can lose 5 litres of sweat without really impairing performance much.
You have absolutely no way of knowing how much you have lost in a day because you simply can't calculate it without the most exaggerated clinical conditions. So, you can't even begin to say how much you should drink. All the talk of what you should drink is not backed by proper scientific facts.
Furthermore, given that everyone is different, the temperature, wind, humidity, your effort expended, the level of activity, hell, there are a hundred and one variables, so how the hell can anyone say what you need?
It really is the purest horse feathers.
Anyone who drinks when they are thirsty will be fine, and you no more need that bottle of water as a rather pretentious accessory, than a pig needs feathers.
Jun 29th 2009, 10:25 am
#8
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
How was that risky? What you did was far worse, you exposed yourself to sunstroke, which is far, far more dangerous. I know, I have had it and damn near died of it. Dehydration is a very different thing. You can have both together, or one by itself.
That last sentance is, I am very sorry to say, very poorly thought out. So, a 13 stone person, with a leeway of up to 6 LITRES of sweat that he can lose before feeling bad, is measureably below par as soon as he has sweated out the first 10 ccs? Oh do come on.
The point I am trying to make is this, and before you jump on what I am saying, do think it thru carefully this time.
The average adult can lose 5 litres of sweat without really impairing performance much.
You have absolutely no way of knowing how much you have lost in a day because you simply can't calculate it without the most exaggerated clinical conditions. So, you can't even begin to say how much you should drink. All the talk of what you should drink is not backed by proper scientific facts.
Furthermore, given that everyone is different, the temperature, wind, humidity, your effort expended, the level of activity, hell, there are a hundred and one variables, so how the hell can anyone say what you need?
It really is the purest horse feathers.
Anyone who drinks when they are thirsty will be fine, and you no more need that bottle of water as a rather pretentious accessory, than a pig needs feathers.
That last sentance is, I am very sorry to say, very poorly thought out. So, a 13 stone person, with a leeway of up to 6 LITRES of sweat that he can lose before feeling bad, is measureably below par as soon as he has sweated out the first 10 ccs? Oh do come on.
The point I am trying to make is this, and before you jump on what I am saying, do think it thru carefully this time.
The average adult can lose 5 litres of sweat without really impairing performance much.
You have absolutely no way of knowing how much you have lost in a day because you simply can't calculate it without the most exaggerated clinical conditions. So, you can't even begin to say how much you should drink. All the talk of what you should drink is not backed by proper scientific facts.
Furthermore, given that everyone is different, the temperature, wind, humidity, your effort expended, the level of activity, hell, there are a hundred and one variables, so how the hell can anyone say what you need?
It really is the purest horse feathers.
Anyone who drinks when they are thirsty will be fine, and you no more need that bottle of water as a rather pretentious accessory, than a pig needs feathers.
Every sport these days has plenty of liquids to drink available, even Wimbledon and the Grand prix.
Look at any running race, drink stands within even the the first Kilometer, mmmm I wonder why ?
Jun 29th 2009, 10:30 am
#9
Popping in for a chat
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Back home
Posts: 4,573
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
How was that risky? What you did was far worse, you exposed yourself to sunstroke, which is far, far more dangerous. I know, I have had it and damn near died of it. Dehydration is a very different thing. You can have both together, or one by itself.
That last sentance is, I am very sorry to say, very poorly thought out. So, a 13 stone person, with a leeway of up to 6 LITRES of sweat that he can lose before feeling bad, is measureably below par as soon as he has sweated out the first 10 ccs? Oh do come on.
The point I am trying to make is this, and before you jump on what I am saying, do think it thru carefully this time.
The average adult can lose 5 litres of sweat without really impairing performance much.
You have absolutely no way of knowing how much you have lost in a day because you simply can't calculate it without the most exaggerated clinical conditions. So, you can't even begin to say how much you should drink. All the talk of what you should drink is not backed by proper scientific facts.
Furthermore, given that everyone is different, the temperature, wind, humidity, your effort expended, the level of activity, hell, there are a hundred and one variables, so how the hell can anyone say what you need?
It really is the purest horse feathers.
Anyone who drinks when they are thirsty will be fine, and you no more need that bottle of water as a rather pretentious accessory, than a pig needs feathers.
That last sentance is, I am very sorry to say, very poorly thought out. So, a 13 stone person, with a leeway of up to 6 LITRES of sweat that he can lose before feeling bad, is measureably below par as soon as he has sweated out the first 10 ccs? Oh do come on.
The point I am trying to make is this, and before you jump on what I am saying, do think it thru carefully this time.
The average adult can lose 5 litres of sweat without really impairing performance much.
You have absolutely no way of knowing how much you have lost in a day because you simply can't calculate it without the most exaggerated clinical conditions. So, you can't even begin to say how much you should drink. All the talk of what you should drink is not backed by proper scientific facts.
Furthermore, given that everyone is different, the temperature, wind, humidity, your effort expended, the level of activity, hell, there are a hundred and one variables, so how the hell can anyone say what you need?
It really is the purest horse feathers.
Anyone who drinks when they are thirsty will be fine, and you no more need that bottle of water as a rather pretentious accessory, than a pig needs feathers.
I take water everywhere and drink loads....
Hardly pretentious, just common sense 
Jun 29th 2009, 1:16 pm
#10
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Jun 29th 2009, 1:23 pm
#11
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: my paradise - Jávea
Posts: 13,330
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
I use the same advice for Spain too, it's essential. We've got our first visitors arriving shortly, including a six-year old grandson. and I worry constantly, it's so difficult to keep a youngster out of the sun between 11 and 3, and even with a hat and smothered in factor 25, he still wants to go into the cooling water.
When I walked past the Chemist yesterday morning, it was showing 39 degrees at 11am. I'm already praying for September rain.
When I walked past the Chemist yesterday morning, it was showing 39 degrees at 11am. I'm already praying for September rain.
look at these figures for yesterday
http://www.wunderground.com/weathers...r=2009&month=6
Jun 29th 2009, 2:23 pm
#12
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 446
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Whatever it is, the UK seems to come unglued as soon as it departs from the average.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
Two inches of snow brings a complete standstill, and temps that are seen as mild elsewhere bring chaos.
I'm puzzled as to the advice to not drink tea or coffee. Does that apply for some health reason for those of poor health?
Only my understanding was that tea coffee and even wine are perfectly hydrating. I'm sure it's only spirits and salt water you should avoid.
Plus, I think there is general hysteria about just how much water you should drink. I have yet to see any authoritative amount on just how much anyone should drink in a day. The only thing I have seen was work carried out on troops in the desert given hard physical work, and there all they could come up with was that once you sweat 7% or so of your body weight you get so dehydrated that performance drops, but improves almost immediately when water is given.
Well, if that is true, then for an 80 kilo person, you would have to lose 6 litres of sweat before performance drops. Then of course people overlook that food is mostly water, so how exactly are you supposed to tell how much water you need.
Personally I find it all a bit precious and mimsy watching entire families wandering around with their personal bottles of water clutched firmly in their hands as tho at any moment they might be so suddenly dehydrated that they would be unable to reach a source of water before they died.
This is in a civilised, built up commercial area eg airport, shopping area etc where mineral water is on sale every few metres.
Out of curiosity I tried a test. On really hot days I have drunk very little except strong black coffee, and not so much of that. I monitored urine colour, and how I felt throughout the day. I was carrying out physical work for most of the day, but nothing flogging, fixing a window, doing a bit of cementing repair and some garden work involving weeding and some digging. The temps were about 35C.
At the end, these were my results. Gradually over the day urine colour increased and I felt tired towards the end of the day, but not so as to impair performance noticeably, and with a small drink of water I was perked up instantly.
My conclusions are
1. if you have the brains to drink a little when you are thirsty, then you don't need to lug bottles of water with you.
2. this beaviour should be reserved for more critical conditions when there is no other source of water around, or for people with life threatening conditions.
3. the old fashioned way of drinking when you are thirsty is perfectly adequate.
4. common sense went out the window long ago.
Jun 29th 2009, 2:40 pm
#13
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Yep, 'cos once dehydration sets in, the damage is done, a little (if you know what I mean) like sunburn, once the skin is burned, the damage has been done.
Jun 29th 2009, 4:21 pm
#14
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: How to beat the hot weather UK style.
Tosh, you are living in the days of old, when they ran marathons and fell across the line because they were so de-hydrated
Every sport these days has plenty of liquids to drink available, even Wimbledon and the Grand prix.
Look at any running race, drink stands within even the the first Kilometer, mmmm I wonder why ?
Every sport these days has plenty of liquids to drink available, even Wimbledon and the Grand prix.
Look at any running race, drink stands within even the the first Kilometer, mmmm I wonder why ?
As for the marathon, I expected better. They have plenty of drink available because they are carrying out hard physical labour in conditions ideal for dehydration which means, gawdelpus, that you need to drink more.
Compare that to wandering around the airport with a large bottle of water clutched in your hand.