10 Ways to Keep Calm and Keep Cool

Keeping cool is not so easy as the UK is rocked by a heatwave, the like of which we can’t remember. If you are finding the hot weather just a stage too far here are 10 great ways to keep cool this summer (and one dodgy way to keep your cat from overheating).

When it is just too hot to move, sticking your head into a bowl of ice might seem like the only action that makes sense! We have trawled through the web to take some inspiration from other people on DIY ways to keep cool during the heatwave. We hope you like our selection.

Getting some shade from the sun is the best way to keep yourself, and your home cooler, this array of garden parasols and windbreaks look pretty, and pretty cool to. We like the stripy model, bottom right, complete with window boxes and awning!

A not-so-pretty way of keeping out the sun, this Mylar sheet at the window helps to keep out the hot sun because is it so reflective, and you can still see out, but it isn’t the most stylish solution we have ever seen!

This Guy looks pretty pleased with himself, with his evaporation coolers, we have to admit to giving this a go in the office, and actually it works pretty well, well done Michael Columbo!

Find a park with a fountain and just get in with the rest of the family, to keep cool in the heat of the day. If you can’t make it outside in this hot weather  then make sure you have a great power shower at home so you can get (almost) as refreshed in the comfort of your bathroom.

Another fan! This one turned up so high it is blowing the pictures off the walls!

Now while we understand that your pets might be getting too hot in the sun we do not recommend this sort of behaviour! Don’t put you cat in the fridge or in the paddling pool either, leave them to find some shade if they want it, they are descended from lions and they don’t mind the heat.

Dogs on the other hand get very hot, so you might want to let them get into the pool too cool down, make sure their claws are clipped first though or their bath might not last very long.

This might be a bit drastic for the few week of hot weather we get in the UK every year, but if Global Warming continues the answer may be to dig down. Living underground gives you a more constant temperature in the heat, and the cold weather too.

Take it easy, don’t overexert yourself in the hot weather, grab a cool drink, and a comfy place to lie, (either in the sun or in the shade) wherever you are most comfortable, and make sure you wear sun cream to protect yourself from sunburn. In fact you could do worse than these guys below…

Take a leaf out of our Aussi cousins book – they are used to the heat. This is a great way to spend a lazy hot summer’s day, fill up the ‘ute’ with a tarpaulin to make a DIY pool, a couple of umbrellas for parasols, a drinks cooler and you are all set!

Thanks so much for the Flickr users whose pictures we have featured, we love the fact that they have shared them with the world, so feel free to comment here, or on their page, to let them know you appreciate their efforts.