The UK is experiencing a heatwave this week, and as always, Brits are finding the hot weather totally unbearable – but why?
When you’re abroad, the sun feels glorious and you can sit soaking up its rays on vacation for hours. However, when the temperature shoots up at home, it feels so different. A doctor has explained exactly why this happens, and it finally makes sense!
Why hot weather abroad feels different to at home
In a viral TikTok video, NHS surgeon Dr. Karan Raj explained that the first reason why the UK feels so unbearably hot during a heatwave is due to relative humidity.
Humidity is the amount of water vapor that is present in the air, and it is higher in the UK than countries with dry heat, he explained.
This makes us feel hotter because humid weather disrupts the body’s normal process of regulating temperature.
Our bodies naturally cool down by sweating, and this sweat then evaporates from the skin to reduce our core temperature.
However, during humid weather, sweat evaporates at a far slower rate so our body struggles to cool itself down.
This is why a higher temperature in a dry climate can often feel more comfortable than a lower temperature in a humid one.
Infrastructure also plays a big part
It also comes down to infrastructure. The UK simply isn’t built to withstand high temperatures, which makes it feel really hot.
Houses and other buildings are designed to retain heat because the weather is cold for the majority of the year.
This effectively turns them into a greenhouses during the summer, keeping in the heat, and most don’t have air conditioning.
This greenhouse effect makes your home much hotter than the 26 degrees it is outside, which is why it feels so insufferable.
In contrast, houses in hotter climates are designed to stay cool with thick walls, large windows, shutters and colored coatings to deflect heat.
If you’re struggling, this doctor’s helpful tips for staying cool during a heatwave will save your life this summer.
It comes down to the activities you are doing
Finally, it also comes down to what you’re doing during that hot weather. At home, you still have to walk to the station, get on a sweaty train and spend the day working in a hot office.
Having to deal with the mundane routines of everyday life while dealing with a heatwave makes for a pretty unenjoyable time.
However, when abroad you are lying down on a sun lounger, relaxing and chilling out which makes the hot weather seem so much nicer.
Plus, it’s another thing for Brits to moan about!
