London is having another heatwave, and it’s the worst one I’ve lived through. Temperatures are up to 38 degrees today, and there’s been extremely active lightning strikes at night. I’m currently keeping myself cool by putting on a gelly face mask and sticking my head in the freezer whenever I feel overheated. A lot of people are feeling the impact of extreme heat in London!
I once made the mistake of travelling to Nice, France with my partner during the hottest part of their year. It was a lack of planning on my part that made it happen, and we didn’t realize the mistake made until days before we landed. We got through the trip, but never again will I go somewhere that hot without planning for it. If you’re travelling somewhere with heatwave weather, my suggestions are:
Get up early
This is one of my least favourite things to do when I’m on vacation. But cities are often coolest in the mornings, so you can explore without experiencing heatwave travel. Early morning travel has the added benefit of fewer people!
Avoid the hottest part of the day
In most places, this is midday. One of my fave things to do during a heatwave was to explore in the morning, come back to the air conditioned hotel for a midday nap. I’d re-emerge with a renewed sense of energy, and be much less sweaty.
Plan cooler activities
I love walking on vacation, but there are some hikes I wouldn’t do if the weather was too hot. This is my nightmare: an uphill walk, in direct sunlight, alone, without a way to get medical help if needed. You don’t need to miss out on hiking, of course! Just plan for it: go early in the morning, with a friend, on a cooler day. Or you can do a total 180 and choose different activities, where the weather will become less of an obstacle. Research where has air conditioning, if you can—theatres, cinemas, museums, and malls.
Prepare for sun and sweat
I’ve written before about items I bring with me to hot locations, as an anxious traveller. But even if you don’t need a packing list, remember the essentials:
- Stay hydrated
- Stay out of direct heat
- Be prepared for problems that might arise because of the heat (excessive sweat, odour, heatstroke)
A pneumonic I like is “Slip, Slap, Slop”. Slip into the shade, slap on a hat, and slop on the sunscreen. I have all my must-haves for heatwave travel in a list, here.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, or other de-hydrators
If you’re sweating, you’re losing water in your body. But if you’re consuming caffeine or alcohol, that’s also taking away water your body might badly need. Avoid these when it’s heatwave weather. Also, old camping trip: if you’re hungry and thirsty but have no water, do not eat. Digestion requires water, so this will also dehydrate you further! Wait until you can eat and drink at the same time.
Make the most of your evenings
The evenings are another great time where the heat won’t be as intense. Plan to visit restaurants or go on city walks in the evening. Or visit places that might be less busy—one of the funnest things I did with my partner in Nice was go night swimming in the ocean. I got to do something I’d been looking forward to, and there were a lot less people in the water!
Heatwave travel can make us uncomfortable—and make cities feel harder to navigate. But if we can plan for the weather as possible when travelling, hopefully we can avoid the discomfort extreme heat brings. Stay safe, everyone—and happy travels!
Leave a Reply