‘I live in Spain– here’s how we cope with a non-stop summer heatwave’

This summer has been among the most scorching in living memory, with record after record being shattered. Across the UK, temperatures during May and June 2026 soared to levels not witnessed since the much-talked-about summer of 1976.

There’s no sign of the heatwave relenting, with a peak of 35.5°C recorded in Wisley, Surrey, at the close of last week. But how do residents of countries that endure the equivalent of a British heatwave every summer manage to cope?

Average summer temperatures on Spain’s Costa del Sol can climb to daytime highs of 32°C, with stifling nights reaching 22°C. Expat Mark Danby explains that it’s simply a matter of adjusting your way of life.

“The real question isn’t just whether Spain gets hot,” he explains in a new video. “The real question is how you live when it does. And the answer is you adapt.” He walks his dog earlier in the day, he says, steering clear of the most intense heat, and keeps his shutters firmly closed against the blazing sun.

“Then later in the evening,” Mark adds, “everything changes. The promenade fills up, the restaurants all get busy. Families come out and children are playing late into the evening. Life doesn’t just stop, it just moves with the weather.”

Mark’s beloved dog Suzy flops down on some cool tiles indoors during the most sweltering parts of the day, he says, and he always ensures she has ample water available: “I think she’s probably adapted better than I have.”

Mark too has adapted to his new surroundings, explaining: “When I first arrived, 25° felt hot. Now, 25° feels absolutely lovely. Back in the UK, 25° was almost a heatwave, or at least it used to be. But here, it’s just a nice day for a walk with Suzy. Your body adjusts. Your routine adjusts. Even your idea of what feels hot changes.”

Now that he calls the Costa del Sol home, Mark no longer feels compelled to make the most of every single day: “This is something I didn’t fully understand before moving. Life here isn’t the same as being on holiday.

“On holiday, you try to fit everything into seven days. You’re walking around in the hottest part of the day, sightseeing, carrying bags, trying to make every minute count. Of course, it’s going to feel hot. But when you live here, there is no rush. You naturally drift into the local rhythm of life.”

Mark, a Stockport native, is keen to highlight that relocating to the Costa del Sol needn’t mean staying put throughout the entire year: “Here’s another thing that people often forget,” he explains. “If August isn’t really your favourite month, you’re not trapped.

“Some people head to the north of Spain where the climate is completely different. Others use August to visit family back in the UK.

“That does make a lot of sense. If you live in Spain all year round, you don’t have to treat August as your main holiday. You can enjoy the Costa del Sol for the other 10 or 11 months. And if you want a cooler break, you’ve got options.”