Another is ‘hotter than the devil’s armpit’ (I like that one!), or ‘it’s hot enough to scald a lizard’ – all sayings implying the heat is getting too much to bear.

Portugal is having a heatwave as I write this, and I would imagine we are all looking forward to the cooler weather. We humans tend to crave what we don't have, and this particularly applies to weather - when it's cold, we long for sunshine; when it's hot, we yearn for a cool breeze. In fact, they say that the Brits are a nation obsessed by discussing the weather, and it might be considered a national pastime, with passing the time of day invariably including some reference to the heat/cold/wind/rain or even snow, depending on the season.

It’s lovely to look out to see a sunny street or a garden shimmering with flowers, but at this time of year, that burning sun needs to be kept outside. The obvious solutions are to crank up the air-con or turn the fans up to speed 3, but there are some ‘cool’ tricks to keep your home bearable, and if you are out all day at work, the last thing you want is to come home to a stiflingly hot apartment or house.

Keeping cool and carrying on
Portugal mandates that workplaces maintain a temperature between 18c and 22c with a maximum of 25c under certain conditions, and should ensure humidity levels are between 50% and 70%, so in your workplace, you should be comfortable.

However, if you aren’t working in an air-conditioned environment, keeping cool while at home is just as important. A good start is to keep the shutters closed if you have them, and pull the curtains across, which will lower the heat by a good 20 degrees – and will save money on your energy bill too. Once the sun moves around, you can open up and close down the opposite side of the house if necessary.

Create a cross-breeze if you can – yes, I know I suggested closing the windows, but sometimes you just have to feel some air, so work out which way the wind is blowing, and provided it’s not a dusty, hot Sahara wind, open a window at either end of the house to get that breeze blowing through. If you have shutters, you can still keep them closed, as the breeze will still get in.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: alistair-macrobert;

If you can, avoid cooking indoors – I am a great fan of the saying: ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen’, so I will try to avoid putting the oven on at all, which would just add another layer of heat indoors. I would take this as a good opportunity to dust off the BBQ and get The Husband to show off his skills at getting the coals hot enough without danger of cremating burgers or sausages.

Another trick is to prepare something earlier in the day when it is cooler, and just microwave it later, or perhaps have a cold food day – just get out the recipe books and find some healthy fresh salad options. Even leftover rice can be magically transformed into a humble rice salad, which might last a few days.

Insulation

Not everyone had the luxury of insulating their homes, but if you are planning renovations, this might be something to consider, and more energy-efficient windows will help control the temperature, too. A well-insulated home will potentially increase its value and be attractive to potential buyers if you are thinking of selling up.

Sleeping in the heat

Lastly, sleeping at night in the heat is hard, but taking a cool shower - or a dip in your pool if you have one – before bed is a good tip, and they say that putting nightclothes and sheets in the freezer for a while before turning in cools them down enough to at least get to sleep. Personally, I can’t see anyone stripping off the bed to remake it with cold sheets (who thinks these things up?), but don’t shoot the messenger - it wasn’t my idea.

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan