American in the UK reveals why hot weather is worse here

While last week’s hot weather has been challenging for many Brits who don’t do well in the heat, it pales in comparison to the temperatures seen in some other parts of the world during the summer months. But a man originally from one of the hottest states in the US has explained why it’s not that simple – and it could actually be much worse in the UK.

Darrell Fishback is originally from Texas but now lives in the UK with his British wife. Known as the Bald Man on TikTok, where he has more than 66,000 followers, he regularly shares insights into the differences between life in the two countries. In a recent video, he explained why the hot weather in Britain “hits differently”.

Opening her clip, she said: “I know I’ve talked about this before, but in case any of my Texan or American friends are planning a trip to the UK, or if you’re in an argument with someone in the comments section about whether Texas is warmer than the UK, I thought I’d keep you updated and remind you that the weather is different here.”

He continued: “The thing about the British heat here is you can’t get out of it. Most houses don’t have air conditioning. They’re also built to retain heat and so unless there’s a really good breeze, if you live on the coast it can get really hot inside a house.”

“I remember my first trip to England was in 2018. You can see, it was August, it was one of the hottest summers you’ve had in decades, maybe it’s still there there, and I remember being so miserable at night. You can put a fan on but you can’t relax, you can’t sleep because there’s no way to cool down.”

At the time, 2018 was the UK’s hottest summer on record, tied with 1976, 2003 and 2006; In July, temperatures reached 35.3 degrees and an average of 15.76 degrees. This was later surpassed in 2025, when the average temperature was 16.1 degrees.

Although it is too early to say if this record will be surpassed this year, Monday 25 May became the hottest May day on history, with the temperature reaching 34.8 degrees in London. This also makes it the hottest public holiday ever.

Temperatures in Texas can get as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Celsius, in the summer, but the widespread availability of air conditioning in both homes and public places makes a real difference in how comfortable it actually feels, Darrell said.

He added that the best advice for Americans coming to the UK is to “talk to a local” to get the real picture of how hot it is, rather than relying on temperature figures. “It may not look really hot, but it can still be really, really hot,” he said.

In closing, he said: “As they say, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. The problem is, the colder it is, the more you can wear. The hotter it is in here, the more you can wear before the police intervene.”

People in the comments added their own opinions. One of them said: “Our version of air conditioning (air conditioning) goes to Tesco and sits in the freezer section.” Another said: “Spent an hour in the frozen aisle of Asda. Didn’t buy anything, just went for some free cold.”

Another said: “It’s almost 11pm and it’s 30 degrees in my bedroom. I’m toasting.”

Another user pointed out how quickly the weather can change in the UK. “You will experience four seasons in one week. It is currently summer, next week we will turn to spring, and wind, rain and temperatures will probably return to normal,” they said.

Someone else added a helpful tip for keeping your bed cool. “Freeze a hot water bottle, wrap it in a towel, and put it under your pillow before bed,” they said. “It makes a world of difference.”

Another wrote: “The heat in England is mind-blowing, you have to experience it to understand how bad it is. You can’t work in it, you can’t sleep in it, but you can definitely go legless a lot quicker.”