‘We are buying fans, taking cold showers, eating ice creams'

Bengalureans living in Western Europe tell us how they are coping with the deadly heatwave

Europe is known for pleasant summers but the current heatwave has left it as hot as India, Bengalureans living there tell Metrolife.

Countries in Western Europe like the UK, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal are reeling under the worst heatwave in recent times, killing people, burning
forests and melting roads.

Musician Arun Sivag, who is currently touring Sweden and Denmark, says “the extended bright days are bizarre.”

Other Bengalureans living, working and studying in these heat-struck countries are missing home because it is raining back home.

The UK

Bhavaniprasad Mysore Sethurao, who lives in London, was stuck in Manchester for a night because of delays and cancellations of train services in the UK. It was feared that railway tracks could buckle under intense heat.

“Traveling in London underground in this weather is also stressful. It is hot and there is no air conditioning,” shares the application support manager, 48.

Running simple errands like stepping out to collect a package has become suffocating, says Ananyaa Upadhyaya, a postgraduate student at Leeds. And since the accommodations in her area are not equipped with air cooler or AC, the 22-year-old is taking cold showers four to five times a day.

Shashank Jayaraja, a 23-year-old masters student at Sheffield, is stuck in the same boat. He says most students can be seen walking outside to get fresh air, and some, “shirtless”. “I also work at an inn and guests there are asking for extra fans... Staying hydrated is the only way out. Ice creams are out of stock in most supermarkets,” he points out.

Germany

Software engineer Shreyas Bangalore Kuppanna lives on the outskirts of Hamburg and it is intensely hot despite the tree cover and parks around.

“Even if I go to the balcony for five minutes to water my plants, I rush back in and sit under the fan,” he says.

Germans love hanging out in summers and hosting barbeque parties after work. That is not happening, he says. “My friend is not walking his pet on roads as these get hot. He is using his backyard lawn instead,” he adds.

The heatwave is not unbearable in the university city of Jena in Central Germany yet, says Sallona Ramesh, who works as an English teacher there. “Indian houses are built to push heat outside while houses here are built to keep it inside,” she points out the irony.

People are handing out free lemonades and ice creams to each other, and the media is doing a good job of giving advisories, she adds.

France

Summer holidays are underway in Montpellier, a city in southern France, and Rehana S has bought her young daughter a portable kids’ pool to beat the heat. The city hit 35°C recently and letting children or the elderly out is not an option, she says.

Post-graduate student Sudhanva Madhusudan, who is doing an internship in Compiegne, a city near Paris, has bought a fan to cool down. Thankfully, his office has air conditioning.

“The sun is up till 10 pm and most residents who stepped out despite warnings have got sunburns,” he shares, adding quickly, “A few days ago the grass was green and now it has turned brown!”

Instagram stories about rains in Bengaluru is not helping. “After seeing these posts, I feel like teleporting myself back home,” wishes Rehana.

Spain

Heatwave is the dominant topic of conversation among colleagues and shopkeepers in Barcelona, where Mayank Mujumdar, 30, lives.

Indians, who are used to tropical summers, aren’t having it easy either. “It is as dry and harsh like Hyderabad’s weather. The houses in Spain don’t have ceiling fans and air conditioners are rarely installed. So I bought myself a tower fan. Even during my time in Bengaluru, summers had started to become warm but at least we had fans,” says Mayank, who works at a climate tech company.

He says it is a relief that his company gives the option of working from home.

(With inputs from Medha Rao, Tini Sara Anien, Barkha Kumari, Asra Mavad)