4 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Currently dumping a load over Rennes and heading north!

23.10 BST and those storms have just shaved us here on Lyme Bay. We've been enjoying a tremendous light show over to the east for the last twenty minutes.

It's still rumbling away but the winds are getting up again as we come through 'the other side'.

For the Green and/or the thrifty...

Thunderstorm in progress as I type these words!

It missed us. Shame, I was looking forward to a thunderstorm.

It never dropped below 21.2°C last night. That’s a new all-time record. My website won’t show it as it runs midnight to midnight. The Met Office runs from 09:00 to 09:00.

So I’ll need to manually adjust my records. My most uncomfortable night’s sleep I can remember. 🥵

I woke up at 04:40 with distant thunder. It rained briefly at 06:30 but only 0.03”. No lightning observed.

Our hottest day on record, yesterday.

I don't recall ever sweating that much.

25C this afternoon and humidity back up to 85% at 10pm. Predicted by the MetOffice.

Interestingly, I do seem to be physically adapting to it, my daughter not so much.

Edited yesterday at 08:15 AM1 day by martin-w

Lightning strikes a couple of miles to the west and east of us this morning at 6:30, some heavy rain but didn’t last long.

I went outside at 7:30 after the rain had just stopped and it reminded of when I lived in the tropics of south east Asia, very fresh smell to the air and cool, gorgeous.

Looks like a chance of some more storms this afternoon but in the meantime, I’ll get the motorbike out for my usual run into the hills for my bacon sandwich breakfast before it starts again.

I had my breakfast sat on the shaded patio this morning. Slightly warmer than the lounge but the breeze made it feel cooler. Reminded me of the time I visited friends who lived on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Two more all-time records went this morning. Thank god this is the last of the really hot days.

23 hours ago, jon b said:

My house was built in 1896 when they knew a thing or two about building houses and thermodynamics.

It’s south facing with natural stone walls about 50cm thick.

It works like a big thermal battery absorbing all the heat during the day keeping the interior cool and lets the heat out at night. Stand on the patio at night after a hot day and you can feel the heat coming off the wall.

I augment that process in extreme heat like this week by closing all windows and curtains during the day and then opening all the windows and doors at night once the outside temperature drops lower.

There’s French doors at the back and a double door at the front so open those up in the evening and a cooling breeze comes through the house.

I’d hate to think what it’s like in a uk new build houses at the moment

I can beat that. I live in an apartment in a Georgian listed Building that was built between 1793 and then finished in 1805 (due to the financial crisis at that time) due to the French declaring war on Britain. In short the builders went bankrupt and others were reluctant to take on new projects. Hence why it took so long finish

Alas its got lovely thick walls and nice big bay windows, Which if you want to change them you have to do it in the dead of night or a Sunday so the council dont see.

It keeps the heat out in the summer and the warmth in the winter, Ive often said to people the only way Id move out of it would be in a box.

I agree with you about new builds. I was round a friends yesterday and it was like a furnace.

Edited yesterday at 11:56 AM1 day by fluffyflops

On 6/25/2026 at 7:21 AM, martin-w said:

Really though? As we've said, there are hotter countries, but in the British Isles we have high humidity and not usually air conditioning. And our buildings are designed to keep us warm not cool..

yup. one million kids not being educated this week due to the Union.

On one hand it boils my blood as back in 1976 when it hit these temps the schools stayed open, the teachers did their jobs.

On the other hand I was down on the coast yesterday in Devon and it was packed !! The local businesses were doing a roaring trade so why not give the kids a week off and let some people earn some well needed money over the summer boom period.

and who'd of guessed it. The standby coverage at my airline this week and last week has been terrible. No childcare.

Edited yesterday at 12:10 PM1 day by fluffyflops

30 minutes ago, fluffyflops said:

I agree with you about new builds. I was round a friends yesterday and it was like a furnace.

They don’t seem to breathe like old houses do, they turn into pressure cookers in this heat.

On 6/22/2026 at 5:04 PM, jon b said:

Just bought a portable aircon unit for my parents lounge this morning in anticipation , my dad is nearly 92 with numerous health issues and last time it was this hot earlier in the year he got really breathless.

Anyway, my point is almost everywhere in the uk is out of stock of the bigger portable AC units.

they are fighting over them in France

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15931747/Paris-bans-alcohol-Europes-hospitals-overwhelmed-record-heatwave-hundreds-dead-countries-issuing-red-alerts.html

Edited yesterday at 02:25 PM1 day by fluffyflops

Don't you have window air conditioners in the UK?

The old house I lived in before I moved to the old folks home had no central air conditioning. We had a window unit in the bedroom and another in the living room. They worked out quite well in 100 degree plus days.

Noel

4 hours ago, fluffyflops said:

On one hand it boils my blood as back in 1976 when it hit these temps the schools stayed open, the teachers did their jobs.

Again, though, in 76 it was hot but an exceptionally dry heat. Nothing like the humidity now.

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

Don't you have window air conditioners in the UK?

The old house I lived in before I moved to the old folks home had no central air conditioning. We had a window unit in the bedroom and another in the living room. They worked out quite well in 100 degree plus days.

Noel

Air-conditioning in general in UK homes is increasing rapidly and the window units are available, not common though.