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Thoughts?
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I'm British and I agree.
30 degrees is the exception here, not the norm, so we're not set up for it. For example homes are designed to trap heat with big windows and good insulation because we have mild to cool temperatures most of the time.
We don't have air con in most homes and even many work places. Our public transport isn't designed to be running in 30 degree weather - the Tube in London is stifling.
And our culture isn't geared up for hot weather. We don't have a siesta culture and late night cafe culture. Instead for us it's normal to be out and busy in the hottest parts of the day.
So when we get 30 degree weather it's throws us off - homes are stifling hot, public transport is uncomfortably hot, and we're out and about in the hottest part of the day because we have work or social plans already set up.
So yeah, it's nice to have a hot day but if we have a heat wave and hit 30 it's in the context of a country not prepared for it.
Add to that we're generally not adapted physically to 30 degrees so sweat and feel uncomfortable in a way we'd not be if living in the heat for weeks at a time.
So yeah it's a bit of a meme that Brits are not good in the heat, but it's grounded in the reality of where we live and how.
Absolutely we're built to conserve heat not cool down. Infrastructure, housing design, road design etc isn't built to stay cool. Citizens just aren't used to it and don't know how to cope