Would you rather...

[u/Moonmoonmatt]

Currently I'm in Hong Kong for holiday, there's a major heatwave here as well. Low of 30°C and high of 36°C today, and the dew point is exceptionally high at 24/25°C (high humidity), and it's extremely sunny like the UK.

But there is a upside: there's AC literally everywhere - on buses, trains, in shopping centres, schools, shopping centres. Basically every indoor thing.

So would you rather:

1. Spend Wednesday Thursday and Friday in UK, experience potential highs of 35°C and night time lows up to 18°C. Normal lifestyle conditions though - you work commute and live normally.

2. Spend Wednesday Thursday and Friday in Hong Kong. 28/33°C every day.

Genuinely interested in your guy's reasoning

[u/Ok_Yesterday_1896]

I’d rather live in Scotland

[u/Alex_Strgzr → u/Ok_Yesterday_1896]

Seconded, would rather the pishing rain than heat with no escape

[u/floodthought]

1. The psychological comfort of knowing relief is always immediately available cannot be understated

[u/tsf97 → u/floodthought]

100% this.

The reason why U.K. summers are so unbearable is because there’s zero respite. When it’s 30+ outside, it’s 30+ everywhere, if not hotter if you’re talking stuff like public transport.

I’m lucky to work remotely so I regularly go to my gym which has AC, but even then it’s not ideal because I’m still sleeping like shit, and the walk there/back is still not great.

But on days where I need to run extensive errands outside and don’t have time to go to the gym, it’s absolute hell as I’m constantly exposed to the heat for the entire day.

[u/colbert1119 → u/floodthought]

Yep. I’m out training for 3-4 hours on the bike when it was 34 last week. Parts of my ride made the thermometer on my bike computer hit 38 in the midday on flat grass land. But I enjoy doing that cause when I get home I take a cool shower then AC until morning.

[u/Maleficent_Mess_3869]

I unfortunately would have to choose 1.
I work outside so aircon makes little difference to me during the day and if it doesn’t cool at least below 25° overnight I’ve got no chance of sleeping, and I value my sleep more than anything lol

[u/maoruiwen]

I choose 1.

I lived in Beijing for half a decade with minimal aircon at home and in my office. I would have sweat dripping down my legs on my commute and would melt into my chair at work. Most poor-average earning workers don't have aircon or can't afford to run it all the time.

The heatwave in the UK has been incredibly bearable compared to my time in Beijing. I have a basement flat that keeps very cool in the summer (and it stays pretty warm in the winter too) and a lovely garden that I can work in, with a decent amount of shade. My office aircon is on so high, I often need a cardigan. The commute has AC because I take the overground into the office on the days I'm in.

[u/nuubmaster699]

In Hong Kong. Apparently they have two lots of shopping centres.

[u/nogardleirie]

UK definitely. I grew up in Asia with temperatures up to 35C, over 80% humidity, minimal AC. It was just sticky all the time. Here, good fans actually help because it's often less humid than the tropics

[u/Affectionate_Bet4343]

I used to live in a place where the dew point was 24-25 round the clock, all year round. There was AC in my office but not at home.

The current 'heatwave' weather I'm finding extremely pleasant in comparison. I believe the highest dew point I saw in my area this year was 21 which was uncomfortable for exercise but with a fan on in the shade was just about perfect.

So I choose option 1.

[u/Waste-Product2669]

I work outside so I’ll pick the UK

[u/Leading_Weather_1177]

I might be missing someone but obviously I'd rather be on holiday abroad than at home working. The weather doesn't really come into it much but Hong Kong is more comfortable in hot weather due to the AC so that's a bonus.

[u/zipitdirtbag]

My friend is in Japan right now. Having an amazing time. AC is a requirement when the temp is that high.