I'm from central Italy, in my city temperatures regularly reach 40 degrees in August. With the recent heatwave we reached it in mid July, I cope by being indoors and locking myself in with AC on and drinking ice cold water, and when I can (and I fortunately can afford so) going on vacation in colder, still close, places, something like Abruzzo or Molise if you know central Italy.
San Diegan here. Beach. That’s what we all do. Pool works too. And of course AC.
Get as much cold air inside overnight as possible then close all the doors and windows a little after sunrise. If your house is well insulated it’ll keep it relatively cool until after lunch. Also, keep the blinds closed on the side of the house actively getting sun.
Light weight or moisture wicking clothes.
Fans. Lots of them.
Damp washcloth on your neck or a spray bottle to mist yourself. If you want to step that up, put the washcloth in the freezer for a bit then wipe your face/neck down.
If you have a basement, spend time on it. It's much, much cooler below ground. The earth is a great insulator.
Go out to movie theaters, malls, or other public spaces that have AC. Visit public pools, beaches, etc.
Get a desktop. Despite what people are going to tell you, laptops are not an optimal choice for gaming. It usually always comes down to the fact that those little tiny cases are not efficient at removing heat.
Over heating and under performing is the typical story for gaming laptops.
Air conditioning definetly needs to become a thing in the UK some company is going to make a killing if they lock it down.
We got one on sale 3 years ago and I have zero regrets. Every heat wave I sleep like a baby. We’ve maybe used it 20 nights total, but so freaking worth it. We do keep it to one room though, not trying to decimate the electric bill.
Air conditioners are the norm here so it is no problem indoor, and outdoor well we were born in it molded by it
If you're out and about, I recommend light clothes, something to keep some sun off (EX: a hat or an umbrella or parasol), and a folding fan (even if the air is hot, the breeze is still somewhat nice)
I recommended if you have a two floor house put a window fan sucking the air out on the top floor. It makes a huge difference.
One thing not mentioned, ice.
Drink water with ice to physically reduce your body temperature. Wipe yourself with ice packs. Eat ice cream and frozen popsicles.
If you're without an ac in Europe I highly suggest getting a simple window unit for your room. They are easy to install. Be sure to seal your door so the air doesn't escape. Portable ac units are known to be very inefficient, be wary of those. Cold showers help in extreme circumstances. Block all sources of light. Blackout curtain or just some covers over the windows. Keep humidity below 60% if you can, dehumidifiers will help but larger ones will rack up your electric bill quick.
The problem is that the windows might not be suitable for window units. For instance in the Netherlands our windows typically tilt or turn (like a door) open, they don't slide up. The walls and ceilings are usually solid brick or concrete, so you can't hide ducts in there for central AC. That leaves a split unit in one room or a portable unit.
Blocking the light made a huge difference in my house. I have are 3 small skylights on the south side that now have sun shades on the outside. They still let in some light, but it's at least 5c cooler on the top floor.
External keyboard and mouse on laptop.
Cooling your feet and legs is a great way to cool your body. So for sure wear shirts, but also sandals/flipflops can help you lose a little heat
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