Ah, remember those British summers of old, when we used to complain – ha! – about how disappointing the weather was, and how jealous we were of our Continental neighbours with their reliable sunshine?You have to laugh – there’s certainly not enough water left in my body to cry, having all been sweated out on the commute – at such naivety. As we all endure sleepless nights and swoon in temperatures that could reach 40C in some parts of the country, this new normal is perhaps the perfect proverbial “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” and “be careful what you wish for” collab. Back in 1990, the mercury hit 37.1C in the UK for the first time, making it our hottest ever day and beating the previous record set in 1911. Since then, of the top five hottest days ever recorded – including 2022’s notable 40C plus boil-in-the-bag hellscape – four have all happened in the last six years. “Sweltering” is no longer a phase or a freak one-off. It’s a way of life.In which case, shouldn’t we learn from the best? Our Mediterranean peers have been dealing with this for a lot longer than we have, wafting around in pale linen, drinking San Pellegrino and making extreme heat look cool. Here are eight lifestyle changes we should nick to beat the heat (and five we should definitely avoid)...Sleeping in the middle of the dayAn afternoon rest could be the secret to surviving a heatwave (Getty)In the UK, we call it an afternoon nap, and it’s frowned upon. In Europe, they call it a siesta, and it’s encouraged. As our summers ramp up on the thermometer, surely we should be following in the footsteps of our Spanish brethren and mandating a two- to three-hour early afternoon break to escape the hottest part of the day? You don’t have to sleep, of course – in modern Spain, less than 18 per cent of people regularly sleep during siesta time, according to one poll. But enjoying a longer, relaxed lunch break rather than forcing your brain to work when it’s overheating and malfunctioning like a smartphone left in a sauna sounds exceedingly appealing right now. Eating for the heatFar be it from me to sound unpatriotic, but the classic “British” dishes simply won’t cut it in these trying temperatures. Roast dinners? Pie and mash? Absolument pas! Even our classic seaside delicacy, fish and chips, is far too hot and heavy to countenance when 40C days are a reality. Clearly, we need to channel our inner Mediterranean and axe the batter, swap the chips for roasted veg and slather everything with cooling Greek yoghurt (gut health!) olive oil if we want to survive.Mediterraneans know hot to eat for the heat (Getty)Changing up the school timingsSchools in hot countries also adapt their timetables around the roasting summer months. In Spain, the day often runs from 9am to 2pm in one continuous teaching block to make the most of the cooler part of the day, with an optional two-hour lunch break and possible after-school activities till 5pm. They also break earlier for summer holidays in mid to late-June – though British parents might not be mentally prepared to have their kids off for a full 11-12 weeks in one go (shudders)… Throwing shadeShutters. Awnings. Canopies. Parasols. Europeans are masters of shade. By comparison, the UK is but a child. Most of our beaches don’t offer the option to hire a giant umbrella to cower under; most of our newbuilds still don’t include features to mitigate heat. In fact, they’re far more likely to be constructed entirely of glass, with windows specifically designed to be impossible to open more than a crack. It’s strange to think that mere architects came up with such a concept, rather than master interrogators hell-bent on inventing a more effective torture method than waterboarding.NOT sunbathingSun bathing in 40C is best avoided (PA)You know what you don’t see many of our olive-skinned Mediterranean counterparts doing? Lying full-out in the midday sun, oiled up and holding a piece of foil so the light bounces off their face. They’ve clearly learned a valuable lesson that we lobster-red Brits have yet to fully grasp: there’s absolutely nothing cool about skin cancer (nor looking like a leather handbag by the time you hit 40, for that matter).Beach showersOther than someone following you around and spritzing Evian mist every 30 seconds – my current personal heatwave fantasy – there’s nothing more cooling than showering off on the beach, sluicing off all the salt and sand of the day before throwing on a lightweight kaftan. This European dream is somewhat scuppered by the reality of most British seaside spots at present – you’ll be lucky to find an operational public loo, let alone running water.Sitting at tables in squaresSoho streetlife: Al fresco culture blossomed during Covid restrictions, but we can still beat the heat in the street (PA)If we’re going to have to suffer the indignity of spending a month of the year drenched in sweat, we might as well make the most of the opportunities presented by this el scorchio situation. And what’s the best thing about being abroad? Reclining at little tables in piazzas, sipping Aperol spritz and dining al fresco! London had a brief taste of this during Covid, when the streets of Soho were temporarily turned into a car-free paradise – let’s really commit to a culture of summers spent sitting in squares, please. Dressing for yacht lifeThe current British sartorial approach to summer is often based around skin: too much of it, being bared too much of the time. Men with their tops off and nips out. Women in butt-munching bikini bottoms, tiny crop tops and barely there hotpants (I blame Love Island). As well as not being particularly sun-safe, it’s all just so desperately… unchic. One thing we can learn from Europe is how to dress for the weather in a manner befitting a Hollywood star scooting around on a Vespa, or a member of minor royalty stepping onto a yacht. Think floor-length, loose, covered shoulders, linens and cottons – always paired with a comically oversized hat or headscarf. Big hats are non-optional in the new heatwave world order (Getty/iStockphoto)And five changes we’d rather not adopt…Throwing toilet paper in the bin: No judgement on countries whose old-school plumbing systems can’t handle anything but effluent down the loo – but I think we can simply be grateful for the pioneering work of Sir Joseph Bazalgette and appreciate what we’ve got.Giant plastic bottles of water as standard: Tap water is fine, thank you very much, as is a refillable bottle full of it. And you certainly shouldn’t be charging anyone for it.Kids’ bedtimes being insane: Not getting a second of “grown-up time” because your children are still awake at 10.30pm? No, we’re all good.Eating past the watershed: While having dinner at midnight when you’re on holiday feels exotic and exciting, doing so when you have to be up for a 6.30am alarm call. Shops being closed for the whole afternoon: It might sound quaint, but the reality of not being able to pick up essentials between 2pm and 5pm would have us running back to Tesco Express in a hot minute.