How to Stay Cool in Hot Weather

Ireland does not get many proper heatwaves, so when one arrives we tend to greet it with equal parts delight and panic. The delight is easy. The panic comes a day or two later, when the house will not cool down, the car is unbearable and nobody can remember where the sun cream went. Knowing how to stay cool in hot weather is half preparation and half having the right few bits of kit to hand, and most of it is simpler than you would think.

This is a practical guide to getting through a hot spell in good form, whether you are heading for the coast, minding the garden or just trying to sleep at night. None of it requires air conditioning, which is just as well, because almost nobody here has it.

Start with what you are drinking

The single most important thing in hot weather is staying hydrated, and the easiest way to actually do it is to keep a cold drink within arm's reach all day. A drink that is pleasant to sip gets finished. A lukewarm one sits there going warmer. This is where a good insulated bottle or tumbler earns its place, because double-walled vacuum insulation will hold ice for hours rather than minutes.

The names worth knowing here are YETI, Stanley and Hydro Flask. All three build stainless steel drinkware that keeps cold drinks genuinely cold through a full day in the heat, so a bottle filled with ice in the morning is still cold on the drive home. Fill it with ice rather than just chilled water and it holds the temperature for far longer.

Size is worth a thought too. A larger bottle around the litre mark means fewer refills on a long day out, while a smaller tumbler suits the desk, the car cupholder or a stroll into town. If you are sweating a lot in the heat, plain water is not always enough on its own, so an electrolyte tab dropped into a cold bottle helps you hold on to what you are drinking rather than losing it. The goal is simple: make the cold drink the easy choice, and you will drink far more of it.

Keep food and drinks cold on a day out

A hot day is the one day of the year a cool box really proves itself. Whether it is a picnic, a beach trip or a long afternoon in the garden, an insulated cooler keeps drinks crisp and food safe rather than turning your lunch into a warm risk. A hard cooler holds its temperature longest and suits a full day out, while a soft cool bag is lighter and easier to carry for shorter trips.

Pre-chill whatever you are packing, add ice packs rather than loose ice where you can, and keep the lid closed and the box out of direct sun. Those three habits do more for a cooler's performance than the price tag ever will.

Get some air moving

When the air is still and warm, even a small amount of moving air makes a real difference. A fan does not lower the room temperature, but it speeds up the evaporation of sweat from your skin, which is exactly what makes you feel cooler. That is why a fan helps even when the thermometer has not budged.

A compact travel fan is the most useful version of this for Irish summers, because the heat tends to land where there is no air conditioning at all: the commute, the desk, the tent at a festival, the bedside table at two in the morning. Small, rechargeable and quiet is what you want.

Cool off in the water

Nothing resets you on a hot day like getting into the water, and Ireland is never short of somewhere to do it. A sea swim, a lake or even a quick dip is the fastest way to drop your body temperature and shake off the sluggishness that heat brings on. It is worth remembering that Irish water stays cold even when the air is roasting, so get in gradually, stay within your depth and swim where there are lifeguards if you can.

Pack a quick-dry towel so you are not carting a damp, heavy one around all day, and a changing robe makes getting dry and decent afterwards far easier, particularly at a busy beach. From swimsuits and goggles to tow floats and towels, the swimming range covers the lot.

Dress for the heat

What you wear changes how the day feels more than most people expect. Loose, light-coloured clothing in breathable fabric lets sweat evaporate and reflects more heat than dark, close layers that trap it. Lightweight men's and women's t-shirts, ideally in cotton or a technical wicking material, will keep you far more comfortable than anything heavier.

The same goes below the waist. A good pair of men's or women's shorts in a quick-drying fabric handles everything from a coastal walk to a day in the garden, and dries fast if you do end up in the water.

Do not skip the sun protection

A heatwave is exactly when sunburn catches people out, because the Irish sun feels mild right up until it is not. A good sun cream is your first line of defence: factor 50 on exposed skin, topped up through the day and after every swim, since water and sweat take it straight off. Pair it with sunglasses that carry proper UV protection and a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face and neck, and keep children especially well covered. The damage is done long before you feel it.

Sleeping when it will not cool down

The hardest part of an Irish heatwave is often the night, when a house that has been baking all day refuses to let go of the heat. A fan by the bed is the obvious fix, and it works best pointed across the room rather than straight at you, moving the warm air on instead of just stirring it around. Keep the bedroom curtains closed during the day so the room does not heat up in the first place, then open windows on opposite sides of the house in the evening to pull a through-draught once the outside air drops below the inside temperature.

Lighter bedding helps more than people expect, and a cool drink within reach saves a trip downstairs at three in the morning. A few small changes here make the difference between a broken night and actually waking up rested enough to enjoy the good weather.

A few simple habits that help

The kit makes the heat easier, but a handful of habits do the rest. Drink more water than you think you need, and start early rather than waiting until you feel thirsty. Save anything strenuous for the morning or the evening and take the middle of the day at a slower pace. Keep curtains and blinds closed on the sunny side of the house to stop it heating up, then open everything once the air cools in the evening.

And look out for the people and animals who feel it most. Older neighbours, young children and dogs all struggle in heat more than a healthy adult does, so keep water plentiful and never leave anyone, two-legged or four, in a parked car. A bit of common sense goes a long way when the weather turns, and it leaves you free to actually enjoy the rare gift of a proper Irish summer.

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