Last Friday Sydney experienced something of a heat wave. It’s a funny term really, ‘heat wave’. It sounds ever so jolly, doesn't it? Growing up in the UK we got very excited about ‘heat waves’. They usually coincided with end of term exams, or Wimbledon but they never happened during the school holidays.
The last time I was in London during a heat wave it reached 36 degrees. Which I believe was a record. It was probably pretty miserable in the city that day (the underground isn’t air conditioned and, well, we’re just not used to such scorching temperatures), but I wasn’t there. Instead, I pulled a sickie, hot footed it down to Brighton and spent the day on the beach.
Sydney’s heat wave made 36 degrees feel pleasant.
46 degrees was just a little bit too hot.
Our house felt like an oven…
That evening I bathed my girls in cool water and put them to bed in their undies. They didn’t settle well. Despite the fans, the heat was oppressive and uncomfortable. I mopped their sweaty brows with cold flannels. I sat on the floor between them (G had decided she wanted to sleep in C’s room, which was just as well as they both needed me).
I sang softly.
It was very, very hot.
Meanwhile, in the UK, it was snowing...
As I sat with my overtired, hot and bothered little girls, excited children were waking up to the eerie silence of a snowfall. My little nephews were out making snow men, wrapped up in ten layers and ten more just to be sure.
It is a very strange thing to see photos like this…
And this….
And this….
... When you’re sitting in an oven.
I pictured myself lying in the snow and tried to think my self cool. It wasn’t very effective.
Just when I thought I couldn't take another second and the temptation to abandon my children and stick my head in the freezer became overwhelming, a cool wind swept through our house and my two very tired little girls finally fell asleep.
Snow joke. Heat waves are hard.
The last time I was in London during a heat wave it reached 36 degrees. Which I believe was a record. It was probably pretty miserable in the city that day (the underground isn’t air conditioned and, well, we’re just not used to such scorching temperatures), but I wasn’t there. Instead, I pulled a sickie, hot footed it down to Brighton and spent the day on the beach.
Sydney’s heat wave made 36 degrees feel pleasant.
46 degrees was just a little bit too hot.
Our house felt like an oven…
That evening I bathed my girls in cool water and put them to bed in their undies. They didn’t settle well. Despite the fans, the heat was oppressive and uncomfortable. I mopped their sweaty brows with cold flannels. I sat on the floor between them (G had decided she wanted to sleep in C’s room, which was just as well as they both needed me).
I sang softly.
It was very, very hot.
Meanwhile, in the UK, it was snowing...
As I sat with my overtired, hot and bothered little girls, excited children were waking up to the eerie silence of a snowfall. My little nephews were out making snow men, wrapped up in ten layers and ten more just to be sure.
It is a very strange thing to see photos like this…
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| Photo credit: Ellie Murphy |
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| My nephews! |
And this….
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| Photo credit: Jon Hinchcliffe |
... When you’re sitting in an oven.
I pictured myself lying in the snow and tried to think my self cool. It wasn’t very effective.
Just when I thought I couldn't take another second and the temptation to abandon my children and stick my head in the freezer became overwhelming, a cool wind swept through our house and my two very tired little girls finally fell asleep.
Snow joke. Heat waves are hard.
Like your little snow joke at the bottom. There has been some extreme weather over the world these last few weeks.
ReplyDeleteYes. IT was no joke. Shocking. I was walking around Darling Harbour with the kids as we'd journeyed to Sydney for X Factor concert. I have never felt heat like it. The evening storm as we stood in line for entry into the concert was a God sent (even though it drenched my perfectly style hair do.
ReplyDeleteLeanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
I can't even imagine 46!! I think we've got up to 38 or 39, and that has been bad enough! There is just no relief. I think if it was 46 I'd be checking into a hotel and blasting the A/C all night!
ReplyDeleteOMG wasn't it hot! Baking. (I sometimes slow cook at 50 degrees...)
ReplyDeleteI tried coolin the kids under the sprinkler outside but the water to them felt freezing compared to the outside temp of 46 degrees, they spent most of the time screaming, rather than squealing with delight like I thought they would! :(
ReplyDeleteYou know they say it's better to be cold because you can usually add layers to get warm, but when you're boiling hot and pretty much in the nude there isn't much more you can do. Don't hate me for having ducted air con, but we lived in QLD, it's kind of essential. Emily @ Have a laugh on me xx
ReplyDelete46 is unfathomable to me! You could nearly slow cook a roast with that kind of heat! It's so hard to imagine your nephews wearing snow suits at present. Hope things stay cool for you (at least 36 degree cool :)).
ReplyDeleteDarling, you need an air conditioner and/or a pool!
ReplyDeleteI personally love the heat and cannot do the cold. When I was in England, I thought I was going to die. No matter how much clothing you wore, it was never enough AND it went on day after day after day.
There are probably 4 days in Sydney every year that is a bit over the top, that's where air conditioning and pools come in very handy - plus it's part of the Australian lifestyle :)
Becc @ Take Charge Now via #ibot
It was funny when we went to SA for Christmas, cause my kids froze! They just couldn't cope with it even slightly cool!
ReplyDeleteBut we are set up for heat here with aircons and a pool. Though it doesn't get that hot in darwin, it's just very humid
When we lived in London, we did NOT miss Australian summers AT ALL! But, we did LOVE the snow and especially those days when the schools were closed because of the snow... Good times...
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Although now I am dreaming of snowmen and squirrels and throwing snow balls on cars stuck in snow on the North Circular...
Have had just the same thing, nephews making snowmen and sledging, mum's bonsai's freezing to death, whilst we fry here. BUT we have the pool and a bit of AC... thank god, and now to get those solar panels!!
ReplyDeleteUrgh, the older I get the more I hate hot weather. I'm becoming such a grumpy old woman, especially when I am hot! Thank god we have air-con, I would not have survived without it! I probably would have stayed the night at my in-laws in their air-con to be honest!
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago I remember sitting in my loungeroom on a 40 degree day, before we had air-con, and getting a text from my sister who was in Whistler at the time and she told me it was minus 12 at that moment. It was impossible to comprehend and I know she was having a hard time sympathising with our 40 degrees!
It was horrible, wasn't it? My oldest was supposed to go to kung fu that afternoon but I had to explain to him that it was too hot to dress in his gear and run about in a warehouse with no air conditioning! But I went from an air-conditioned office to my air conditioned car to our air conditioned house, and this kind of bothers me. I think we've gone soft. I think sometimes we need to sweat it out.
ReplyDeleteAnd your nephews are ADORABLE! x
We don't have air con either.. well not one that works - it has been so horrible hasn't it. I'm about to put the foot down and get air con that actually works. Happy wife happy life and all that :)
ReplyDeleteAhhh see! Growing up in Cairns, this was more normal than not! I laugh that we had temperatures around that quite often growing up (with absolutely horrid humidity to boot) and now it's classed a Heatwave?
ReplyDeleteI even remember being taken to Singapore as a child... in Summer. Now that, was indeed HOT!
As for the snow... I'm still not convinced it's really all that much fun either! ;)
For once we have not had really hot days in Brisbane. I have felt sorry for you guys down south. Rachel xx
ReplyDeleteThis heat is starting to do my head in, and i don't think I could handle sleeping without A/C. I hope your two little possums don't have to deal with too many more nights like that x
ReplyDeleteOh, man...that 45 degree day was tough!!! It seems surreal that in another part of the world there is cold, fluffy white stuff. I miss snow!
ReplyDeleteYeah 46 is just plain ridiculous. I have been in that heat before, and could actually feel my eyeballs baking.
ReplyDeleteOur little fibro house was like an oven. 48˚c in one room at a point. I escaped to a friend's place and was so relieved when the rain came. I don't mind the odd hot day compared to last Summer which was cold and miserable.
ReplyDeleteI drove back from The Shire back to our eastern beaches hamlet that afternoon. It was 48C in Brighton Le Sands. I could not believe my eyes. No more please!
ReplyDeleteIt was so hot! 46 is crazy! Thank god for our air conditioner that until two weeks ago we didn't even think worked :) Found you on #IBOT
ReplyDelete46 is certainly crazy in Sydney. People expect me to be used to that sort of temp given we have it here everyday for 6 months straight but to be honest our homes and all the infrastructure is designed for it here.
ReplyDeleteI would take 46 here over Sydney anyday!!
46 is truly ridiculous! I can't believe Sydney can reach this sort of temperature! I was in Melbourne for Black Saturday, and I will never forget how surreal that feeling was. It was unnatural. 46+ degrees with a blowing wind. It felt like the world was about to end. We didn't reach such extremes here, but the mugginess makes it feel 10 degrees hotter. How nice snow would be right now! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos! I felt for you all that day! That was scary hot! Hopefully a rarity!!! xx
ReplyDeleteI crept in to pull the blanket off miss 2.5 (she insists on having it on) to see her lying star fish style in her cot, glistening with sweat. I then went in to my bedroom to see my very pregnant wife in the same pose
ReplyDeleteI moved from Canada a couple of years ago, and my FB feed usually has snow pictures like yours. Makes me want to do snow angels x
ReplyDelete