Heat

This might be a weird thing to write about, given that I spent roughly half of the last two years abroad in hot countries in Asia, but I’m struggling with this recent heatwave.

Today was the hottest day of the year (so far) in the UK, though in my area it apparently peaked at 30C outside for both today and yesterday.

In the cabin (where I live, work, and sleep) the heat reached 36C - presumably because buildings in the UK are designed to trap heat, not vent it. Even with all of the windows open, it didn’t really cool down.

In this kind of heat, the plastic of my laptop becomes very very warm to the touch; especially the area near the CPU. I worry that it’s damaging the machine. It certainly makes it less comfortable for me to use.

Also, if I wear my headphones, my ears get very hot and sweaty, which will (probably?) damage my headphones, or at least just make them very gross. So I can’t wear them, either.

Working out is very unpleasant, and I generally felt very dehydrated all day today, too, despite drinking lots of fluids.

I don’t remember having a tough time like this when I arrived in Asia. For sure, when I first got to Chiang Mai it took a long time to adjust; I remember feeling lethargic and needing to spend a week or two adjusting, but I don’t think it got to the point where my laptop could burn my fingers.

There’s a lot to be said for the fact that most of the places I stayed had airconditioning. I didn’t often use the one in my apartment in Thailand when I first arrived, but almost every public place was air conditioned, and I tended to only be at home at night. During the day, I could cool off by taking a dip in the swimming pool, too.

When I experience a heatwave like this, I get worried about the future. Climate Change is a real thing, and the UK is only going to experience heatwaves like this (and worse!) as we go forward. Other regions will be hit much worse, too.