Brits finally realise there's truth to it feeling 'hotter in the UK than abroad'
A heatwave has swept across the UK this weekend, with peaks of 33C recorded on Saturday (July 12) and possible highs of 31C expected today (July 13). Temperatures are forecast to dip slightly, before cooler weather sets in on Monday, bringing "heavy spells of rain" in many areas, according to the Met Office. Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands, southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday. The latest heatwave has also led to a hosepipe ban being declared for millions of people in England.
This is the third heatwave of the year, and more "hot spells or heatwaves" are expected through to the end of July, spelling more misery for Brits. When it's hot in the UK, there seems to be an unanimous opinion that it's "different" than when it's hot abroad. People in the UK are known for loving complaining about the weather. An American who lives in the UK called Russell recently took to TikTok to say: "I am never doubting a Brit again when they tell me that the UK sun hits different. I feel like I'm in a sauna."
Another American known as @mortonmunchies said: "How are we surviving this heat? I'm not used to the heat and not having air conditioning." But it turns out Brits have a good reason to moan when it's hot - because there's a reason it feels hotter in the UK than some other places.
Good Morning Britain weather presenter Laura Tobin took to social media to explain: "Some people might be thinking, when I'm on holiday and it's 30 degrees, it never feels anywhere near as hot as it is when we're in the UK. Why is that? It is down to humidity. The humidity in the UK is much higher. A higher humidity means that when you sweat you can't evaporate that sweat as quickly and it means that you feel hotter. So the temperatures in the UK and abroad are the same, but it does feel hotter here in the UK."
The post received lots of interaction, with one person saying: "Thanks for clarifying that Laura. We wondered why we felt it so much." Another simply said: "I've always wondered about this." And someone else wrote: "Yup, humidity makes so much difference. Also in places like London, the urban heat island effect has a lot to answer for!"
NHS doctor Dr Karan Raj also recently took to TikTok to explain more about this phenomenon. He said: "In the UK, the relative humidity is higher than in countries with dry heat. This makes it harder for our bodies to cool down because sweat doesn't evaporate as well. So you feel hot and sticky like a roast barbecue pig. This is why 35C in a dry climate can feel more comfortable than 25C in a place with high relative humidity."
Another reason could be that in the UK our buildings aren't built to cope with the heat. Dr Raj said: "In the UK, the buildings are designed to retain heat because the weather is usually cold, soggy and silly." We also don't usually have air conditioning.
Annie Shuttleworth, a Met Office meteorologist, told Stylist that how we experience heat at home versus abroad plays a huge role. "When we experience heat abroad, we're usually on holiday, and may be close to a pool or the beach."
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