fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
Not where I am.....
Hot Weather - Many little things add up to help your piggies and yourself
- Thread starter Wiebke
- Start date
It's thankfully cooled down again in the UK. The jet stream is currently straight over us, so the North and West of the UK (mainly Scotland and Northern Ireland) are rather cold and very wet while the South and East (mainly England) is back to average but mostly dry. It can get warmer and more humid again the more south and east you are if the jet stream sucks up warm winds from the south but it should hopefully only be very short term. Keep in mind that the UK is as far north as Canada.
The UK is an island that used to be protected by the current of the Gulf Stream bringing warm water across the Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico - that means traditionally milder winters and cooler summers but plenty of rainfall. Our houses aren't built against extreme heat or cold; just to keep the rain out and let as much sunlight in as possible. Insulation in traditional houses is a great problem as is keeping the sun out due to climate change with heating oceans, a weakening gulf stream and hotter summers.
Michigan is right in the middle of the continent which means more seasonal extremes.
We've promised some warm and again very humid air for tomorrow afternoon and a sultry night ahead of the next weather front. At least is only 25 C (75 F) here but another 'London night' following before it gets cooler again. Just trying to air the house first thing in the morning and then bunkering in for the following 24 hours...
Lorcan
Forum Buddy
I can feel it already tonight actually, which is weird - 66% as it is. But it's still a decent 20° so it could be worse, probably will be when I wake up. Clear skies too, by rights it should feel colder.
The air is smelly dirty, dank and soupy again this morning. Thankfully all I need is a quick, last sharp cool down and then keeping the windows cool for a comparatively pleasant night. The wind has turned to the south but it is thankfully cool (you are closer to the rainfront @Lorcan ) and overcast here - the longer the better, as far as I am concerned.
Like everybody, losing piggies suddenly, I do have a bit of the jitters when the trigger factor comes back into play.
Thankfully, it should be over again by tomorrow and not amount to another series of several very humid days.
Lorcan
Forum Buddy
The air is smelly dirty, dank and soupy again this morning. Thankfully all I need is a quick, last sharp cool down and then keeping the windows cool for a comparatively pleasant night. The wind has turned to the south but it is thankfully cool (you are closer to the rainfront @Lorcan ) and overcast here - the longer the better, as far as I am concerned.
Like everybody, losing piggies suddenly, I do have a bit of the jitters when the trigger factor comes back into play.
Thankfully, it should be over again by tomorrow and not amount to another series of several very humid days.
Yeah it's grey here this morning. Bone dry and still warm, but grey.
AidaB
Forum Donator 2024/25
Here we go again. 
LondonLady
Forum Donator 2024/25
Yep. 32C here today. I've had all the windows open all night but once my flat heats up its very hard to cool it down . It's only 22 outside at the moment but I'll be closing the windows and pulling the curtains across soon.Here we go again.
I'm re-reading all the advice and doing the best I can but I'm really worried about Toffee in particular. He looked very uncomfortable yesterday. He's coped with previous heatwaves but of course he's getting on a bit now...
I know. 
We have just started the day with a very light shower of rain, just enough to make the air really humid. No fresh air to flush the house before it is starting to heat up quickly now.
At least I have managed to keep the house pretty cool yesterday with watering my sheets and spraying exposed windows with my water pressure sprayer.
We are about the get the old lead pipes in our road replaced that connect the houses to the main waterpipe in the road in order to reduce leakage. Figures that it has to happen on the hottest day of the year for us!
I will have to resort to the fan today, not because the lounge is overheated (I got it down to 21 C again overnight) but because of the humidity. I don't want to lose any more piggies or be ill myself if I can help it. Thank god is going to be fresher again by tomorrow!
We have just started the day with a very light shower of rain, just enough to make the air really humid. No fresh air to flush the house before it is starting to heat up quickly now.
At least I have managed to keep the house pretty cool yesterday with watering my sheets and spraying exposed windows with my water pressure sprayer.
We are about the get the old lead pipes in our road replaced that connect the houses to the main waterpipe in the road in order to reduce leakage. Figures that it has to happen on the hottest day of the year for us!
I will have to resort to the fan today, not because the lounge is overheated (I got it down to 21 C again overnight) but because of the humidity. I don't want to lose any more piggies or be ill myself if I can help it. Thank god is going to be fresher again by tomorrow!
You can train a fan on the cage as long as you drape a damp piece of fabric across the area and partially over the cage; especially when it gets really hot in the evenings. The evaporating water will cool down the surrounding air; it is the same principle as with the windows, just a different application.
I have the same problem as you with my northwest facing upstairs bedroom - it gets the full afternoon/evening sun and the full heat from the bricks and tarmac. And with a southerly hot breeze, any heat in the house is pushed into my room.
LondonLady
Forum Donator 2024/25
Thank you, yes, I did that yesterday evening and will do it again today as soon as I'm home (have to go out soon, back about lunchtime) The sun comes round to the piggies room late afternoonYou can train a fan on the cage as long as you drape a damp piece of fabric across the area and partially over the cage; especially when it gets really hot in the evenings. The evaporating water will cool down the surrounding air; it is the same principle as with the windows, just a different application.
This is so stressful. To think when I was young I used to enjoy hot weather!
Thank you, yes, I did that yesterday evening and will do it again today as soon as I'm home (have to go out soon, back about lunchtime) The sun comes round to the piggies room late afternoon
This is so stressful. To think when I was young I used to enjoy hot weather!
I totally feel for you. I am having a nightmare day today as well.
We are currently got the plumbers in to get a new water supply pipe from the main into the house as part of the drive to reduce leakage from the old leadpipes. At least they will hopefully be done with our house by lunchtime before the worst of the heat hits. But between a tiny shower steaming up the air first thing in the morning and then the plumber in and out of the house via hub's den (so he is underfoot in the lounge and in an out all the time, it is going to be impossible to keep temperatures as low I would wish. This evening is going to be a killer. Definitely a day to get the fan out in the afternoon! The snugglesafes for the oldies are already in the fridge.
Of course, it all has to happen on the hottest day of the year...
I am trying to keep the downstairs windows as cool as possible with damp sheets on the sunny side and regular spraying with water on the other side. We have installed heat reflecting foil on the upstairs windows bit by bit and it does help even if it is not perfect.
Anyway, we now have got some nice clean water coming into the house (unfortunately, quite a lot of hot air has come in through the open front door as well) but we are still on 23 C in the lounge and it is starting to slowly cloud over now.
Keeping the windows as cool as much as I could with not having water all the time is still making the indoors feel quite a bit cooler. I think I rather impressed the plumber and the digging crew with my off-grid damp sheets in front of the windows method once they could feel the difference between the outside and the inside for themselves!
Keeping the windows as cool as much as I could with not having water all the time is still making the indoors feel quite a bit cooler. I think I rather impressed the plumber and the digging crew with my off-grid damp sheets in front of the windows method once they could feel the difference between the outside and the inside for themselves!
AidaB
Forum Donator 2024/25
What a tricky day for you. Well done on staying cool. I left my OH in charge today, while I was at work. I enjoyed the bliss of walking into our cool house after a hot day. Unfortunately we now have full sun out the front, so still warming up.Anyway, we have got some nice clean water coming into the house (unfortunately, quite a lot of hot air has come in through the open front door as well) but we are still on 23 C in the lounge and it is starting to slowly cloud over now.
Keeping the windows as cool as much as I could with not having water all the time is still making the indoors feel quite a bit cooler. I think I rather impressed the plumber and the digging crew with my off-grid damp sheets in front of the windows method once they could feel the difference between the outside and the inside for themselves!
What a tricky day for you. Well done on staying cool. I left my OH in charge today, while I was at work. I enjoyed the bliss of walking into our cool house after a hot day. Unfortunately we now have full sun out the front, so still warming up.
The sun has returned here as well so the street side is currently fully baking. I am trying to keep the sheets on that side dampened every couple of hours. It is now 24 C in the lounge - which is a rise of only 3 C during the day despite all the hubbub and it being our hottest of the year so far.
It's still very muggy and I can't wait until I can finally open windows and hopefully reap the benefit of a fresher night than normal after such a warm day.
LucyP
Forum Donator 2024/25
Thank you, yes, I did that yesterday evening and will do it again today as soon as I'm home (have to go out soon, back about lunchtime) The sun comes round to the piggies room late afternoon
This is so stressful. To think when I was young I used to enjoy hot weather!
Same here! I’m constantly worrying about the pigs. Hope yours did ok today, it was horrible in London! Fingers crossed tomorrow is the last of the the really hot days for a while…
LondonLady
Forum Donator 2024/25
Thank you! We all got through yesterday, which I assume was the worst - they're saying it will 'only' reach 26C here this afternoon.
I've got washing hanging up to dry in the piggies room this morning which i'm hoping will help to keep the temperature down a little bit.
piggieminder
Forum Buddy
I find drying washing in the piggies room helps a lot.
We have been really lucky so far this time. Sunday's promised 27 only got to 22/23, yesterday and today so far have not reached that! We are on top of a hill and the wind has been decidedly cold, very autumnal.
We have been really lucky so far this time. Sunday's promised 27 only got to 22/23, yesterday and today so far have not reached that! We are on top of a hill and the wind has been decidedly cold, very autumnal.
HUGS
All the best. I hope that drying the washing in the room helps with keeping it that little bit cooler. I feel so sorry about all the people in London and the Southeast; that corner of the country always gets the hotter air first and the cooler air last.
The good news is that guinea pigs will gradually adapt (and so do our own bodies) if the climb is gradual and not sudden.
We are 'only' up to 25 C today before the clouds of the coming front are reaching us in the later afternoon but the lounge should stay at a comfortable 22-23 C by the evening and the coming days are around that temperature anyway.
We had a much fresher night (going down from ca. 30 C to 11 C) so I had a chance to get a lot of the really muggy warm air and the stink from the soldering out of the house with some vigorous airing early this morning; including creating a vertical updraft to suck the warm air and the stink out of the house via the flap in the attic.
It feels so much fresher now and I have the energy to tackle the next round of cage cleaning after a much more comfortable night (helped by my exhaustion from the muggy air and all the hubbub yesterday).
I must also say that finally having heat reflecting foil on all upstairs windows and the attic flap, it really does make a difference; even the cheaper one. It cannot prevent the build up of heat in the house during a longer heatwave with too many windless, warm nights but temperatures in the house are climbing noticeably slower. I still remember my first big heat spike here in the UK when the lounge was nearly up to 30 C without any extra protection and still quite a lot of single-glazed windows.