Asia and Australia's advice to heatwave-hit UK

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33358913

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Sunglasses and hats at the ready. Temperatures are blistering across Europe.

England has seen its hottest July day in history while France has suffered power cuts in its cities.

It's the talk of the UK, but there's been a mix of reaction from social media users in countries more used to intense heat.

"Dear UK, it gets up to 45C in Australia, so you will survive 30C," said Australian Twitter user Desi. Twitter user Milly in Melbourne said: "You don't know the meaning of a hot summer day until you've been to Australia in the summer."

"Spare a thought for those in Pakistan where it's 45C," said a tweeter in that country.

But others, like Courtney Wright in Perth, have some sympathy for those experiencing "scorching effects" from the heatwave.

"Everyone is adapted to different climates. Similarly, what we consider cold in Australia is very mild in the UK," she said in a response on Facebook.

"It's all about our adaptation and natural tendency. Not to mention that Britain is also dealing with humidity."

'Ice cream and cozzies'

Other social media users shared their advice and experience on how to cool down.

"Ice cream, ice cream and more ice cream! You can't go wrong," advised a Facebook user.

"Always wear sunglasses," said another.

Tips from Hong Kong

Hong Kong, meanwhile, has also just sweated through its hottest June on record.

"In Hong Kong, not even mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noonday sun any more," Daniel Bland told the BBC.

"It's not just hot; but a wet, smothering, unrelenting hot. When a passing bus or truck brushes by you with magnifying exhaust, it feels like a physical assault. Worse still, you know it won't let up until October.

At least we're prepared for the weather. Every kiosk, shop and restaurant has on-the-ready tissues to sop up sweat from suffering customers. People manage to shuffle, relatively regularly, from one air-conditioned oasis to another. Enjoy the anomaly, UK! We'll be sweating here for the next six months."

"Friends, it's a time to get up close and personal with the natural you, because that make-up is going to slide right off your face quicker than you can say 'slushie', said Vicki Pawsey. "Embrace those sweaty hugs, let that barnet get massive and above all get yourself plenty of ice ice baby. Oh, and buy a fan and stop moaning it'll be cold and grey again in a week."

Si Robison said: "It's so hot here that it completely surrounds us. It feels just as hot at 2am as it does at 2pm. You cannot escape the humidity, even if you manage to escape the sun.

"People in the UK - don't even talk about sweating. Sometimes here, we are completely drenched! We do have the comfort of air-conditioning that blasts from every building which helps.

"I'm incredibly fair skinned and can get sun burnt in any condition. So you can take the boy out of England but you can't take England out of the boy."