10 ways to stay cool outdoors in a heatwave

In some ways it’s lovely. In other ways it’s sticky and grim. Whether you like the extreme heat or not, we all need to know how to stay cool outdoors.

Climate change means we’re getting more heatwaves, and they’re getting more intense. At the same time millions of us are loving our fresh new outdoor lifestyles, and making the most of our gardens. We want to stay outside even when it’s really hot. So how can you enjoy alfresco fun while remaining chilled? Here are some hot tips for staying cool outdoors.

10 tips to stay cool outdoors when temperatures are soaring

1. Grab a bucket. Any bucket. Fill it with cold tap water. Find a shady spot. Stick your feet in the bucket… and sigh with pleasure. A simple bucket of water cools your feet really well, which in turn gradually cools the rest of you down. Add chunks of ice for an extra thrill
2. Stay cool outdoors with instant garden shade. A posh gazebo like the Runcton from Norfolk Leisure is perfect, a luxury item that comes with beautiful curtains to keep the rays at bay
3. Plant your own shade – whether it’s evergreen or deciduous, a lovely fresh green canopy works wonders for calming the worst of the heat down. Willow withies are super-easy. Simply poke them into the soil in spring and they’ll come into leaf to give you lots of cool, dappled shade in summer. Make a circle of them then pull in the tops inwards and fix them to make a curved roofed structure to sit in. Or plant a semi-circle of tall evergreens to give you a shady spot for a garden bench
4. A dramatic garden parasol is always a great idea, especially when it adjusts so you can move it as the sun moves across the sky. This one, the Royce Ambassador, comes in a lovely soft grey. It’s 3m square so provides generous shade for several people, and the clever cantilever feature gives you even more flexibility. You can also buy smaller versions, and we even have a brilliant wall-mounted cantilever garden parasol for you
5. You might like a traditional-style parasol. The Norfolk Leisure Garden Must Haves Carousel is a cool creamy colour and has a beaded fringe around the edge, an elegant way to stay chilled. At 2.7m across, it’s a generous size
6. Become a ‘hat person’. If you’re already a hat person, you’ll know how cooling a wide brimmed hat can be. It’s one of the simplest ways to keep the sun off your head and your face in the shade, and there are some fabulous hats around. Make your next outdoor celebration a hat party if you like, starting a fun trend with friends and family. Pretend you’re going to Ascot, making staying cool a sophisticated affair
7. Dunk your head. OK, it sounds dramatic. But when you dip your head in cool water for a few seconds it feels heavenly. It might not be much good when you’re keen to keep that salon-fresh ‘do’, but great fun when you all do it together on a hot day. What the heck. Who cares what you look like? You’re amongst friends…
8. Hire a pool. Have you seen those portable hire swimming pools to set up in a garden? They’re great. Hold a pool party if you like, or just sit in it with a glass of something chilly and let the water drain that sticky heat away
9. A garden shade sail is a thing of wonder. They look beautiful, really classy, and they work hard to keep the worst of the heat away while you enjoy the garden. Some are plain and elegant, others are colourful and funky. Use one or more shade sails strung across the space to make an outdoor entertainment area big enough to keep your friends and family cool
10. A cool shower feels like magic. Take yourself indoors whenever you feel the heat getting too much, stand under a cold shower for a couple of minutes, then return refreshed. If you’re wearing swimming or sunbathing gear, a garden hose will do the trick as well as being really good fun. And a water fight using squeezy bottles will perk you right up, whatever your age

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