Sade Giliberti shares humorous take on the UK heatwave.
Image: Instagram/ sadegiliberti
Humans really are a fascinating bunch. One minute we're begging for summer to arrive, and the next minute we're threatening to move to Antarctica because it's too hot.
Former YoTV presenter and media personality Sade Giliberti recently had South Africans laughing after sharing her experience of the heatwave currently hitting the UK and parts of Europe.
"We are grateful for a summer, but the heat is insane," she said.
Now, I know some of us are wondering: isn't sunny weather exactly what everyone wanted?
Maybe it's just me, but the UK has always looked like one of those places where “when days are dark, friends are few” kind of vibes, with grey skies that never seem to leave. The kind of weather that makes you want to stay indoors, cancel plans and stare dramatically out of a window while listening to Adele.
But according to Giliberti, this heat is a different beast altogether. "It does not slap like back home. Here, in a heatwave, the heat starts at 5 o'clock in the morning. It ends never. It ends when the heatwave ends."
She explained that the biggest difference is the humidity. "You never get a break. You are constantly sweating and constantly hot."
"It's so muggy, it's unbearable. So everybody back home who are watching Africans complain about the heat in the UK and the heat in Europe, you don't know what we are going through. It is hell."
Because the UK is surrounded by water, humid conditions can make high temperatures feel even more uncomfortable. When humidity levels are high, sweat does not evaporate as easily, making it harder for the body to cool itself down.
Giliberti took the comedy up another level when she joked: "I might as well be in the Seychelles drinking a margarita, but I'm not because what is happening?"
Many South Africans will remember her from the golden days of YoTV when afternoons on SABC1 felt like an event, and everyone rushed home to catch their favourite shows.
The reality is that Europe is currently battling extreme temperatures, with several countries issuing heat warnings as temperatures climb well above seasonal averages. Large parts of Europe are experiencing an intense early summer heatwave.
Meteorologists have issued warnings as extreme heat places pressure on health services, infrastructure and vulnerable communities. Scientists continue to warn that climate change is making these heatwaves more frequent and more severe.
Meanwhile, South Africans are reading those complaints while wrapped in blankets, waiting for winter to end.