If there’s one thing that’s true about a UK summer, it’s that you’re always going to be disappointed.
For starters, we barely have a summer, and most of the year is spent in some sort of grey misery. Not only that but when summer does come, it’s immediately overwhelming.
You’re sweaty, you’re clammy, the air feels oppressive, and the gorgeous, slinky outfits you had in mind are immediately swapped out for baggy, shapeless clothes that let in some cool air.
However, on holidays abroad, when the weather is actually usually a lot warmer than it is here? The sun is delightful! There is a spring in your step, a carefree kinda vibe. You could live like this forever, actually.
Why does this happen? Why is hot weather always so uncomfortable in the UK and pleasant abroad?
Thankfully, this is a real phenomenon and NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan has explained what causes it.
In a TikTok video, Dr Rajan 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 [as it does abroad].”
He then explained that this is actually the reason behind why we feel hot and sticky. Ugh.
He added: “This is why 35 degrees in a dry climate can feel more comfortable than 25 degrees in a place with high relative humidity.”
The surgeon also added that part of the problem in the UK is that our infrastructure isn’t built for hot weather.
He explained: “In the UK, buildings are designed to retain heat because the weather is usually cold, soggy and silly.
“The same insulation that helps save energy in the winter, makes buildings a greenhouse in the summer, especially without air conditioning, which most UK homes do not have.”
VINDICATION.
@dr.karanr Bit warm innit @Jack Skipper
♬ original sound - Dr Karan Raj
