PETALING JAYA: For someone who grew up in a tropical country, Melaka-born Nur Faarihah Khairuddin says the heat in London is “unbearable”.The 23-year-old, who just graduated from the University of Warwick, said she now sought shelter daily in air-conditioned buildings.She wrote recently on social media that her house in London was built to keep the heat in so for that reason, staying home was not an option in the current heatwave plaguing the country.
“I’m an outdoors person. I can sit at local parks to soak in some sunlight, but now I must stay indoors as the heat is unbearable, even for someone from a tropical country.
“Since UK homes are built to retain heat in the winter, it doesn’t help to stay at home,” she said.
The weather phenomenon La Nina can bring frequent, sudden rain and cool weather here, but Malaysians abroad in Western countries tell tales of oppressive heat, almost making them crash at noon.“Even 25°C here is hotter than in Malaysia,” Faarihah said.
Perakian Adrian Chan, 31, now a forensic accountant in London, had to spend his days – even weekends – in his air-conditioned office to escape the heat.
“I only have a table fan at home,” he said, adding that the weather cooled down yesterday and more rainy days were expected to follow.
Across the Pacific in California, Malaysian Anuradha Shankar, 39, hides at home most of the time. But being Malaysian, she said she could “more or less” bear the heat.
“I live near the Bay, so it’s quite windy. Hence, it’s a blessing as it’s hot but also windy.
“The only downside is the low humidity. You don’t sweat much and you can feel the scorching sun.
“In California, humidity is low. You feel the burning sun directly and that’s not fun, especially during the afternoons. So, I’m mostly at home then,” she said.
She added that, as far as she knew, everything was running as normal in California, although there were wildfires spreading due to the wind.
Last week, the Meteorological Office in the United Kingdom issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat as temperatures rose to 34°C in some parts.
An official drought has been declared as low-water levels and dry conditions continue across the country.
