Summer vs winter: preferring the cold is not a flaw

Summer vs winter: preferring the cold is not a flaw

Picture it at 2 a.m., stuck to a fan that only stirs hot air, drenched in sweat, with your computer threatening to overheat. It's the story of a summer night in an apartment without air conditioning. For many, it's the hell that repeats itself for two months every year. Meanwhile, in winter a jumper and a blanket are enough to sleep through the night.

The curse of heat: suffering with no relief

Summer is not the same for everyone. Those living in a top-floor flat without cooling, in Madrid or Seville, see indoor temperatures climb from 27 to 29 degrees at night. Some people's baseline body temperature hovers around 34-35 degrees, so heat energises them; but for most, excess heat causes dehydration, dizziness and very poor sleep. As has been pointed out, cold allows you to add layers; heat, on the other hand, can only be tackled with air conditioning or by fleeing, solutions not everyone can afford. Those who claim it's enough to set the AC to 24 degrees forget that not everyone has 300 euros a month for climate control, let alone the 1,500 euros for an efficient unit.

Summer is for the rich (and tourists)

One line of analysis argues that summer is only enjoyable when tied to holidays, the coast and leisure. "Summer is for the rich," the argument goes: anyone who can afford not to work, with a pool, air conditioning and free time, enjoys it. For everyone else, it's a three-month slog of sweltering heat, made worse by mass tourism driving up the cost of living. It's no coincidence that many people miss the summers of their childhood, when three months of school holidays made it bearable. Adulthood, with its responsibilities, turns summer into an endurance test.

Geography of sweat: not every region is the same

Geography is a decisive factor. On Spain's northern coast or in coastal areas, summer is mild and you can go out at any hour. Inland, the heat becomes suffocating. "From Madrid downwards it's hell," is a common refrain. The spread of heatwaves, which used to last a month and now stretch to two, has turned places that barely suffered high temperatures into scorching spots. This year, according to weather forecasts, a "heat dome" will send temperatures soaring from the 5th onwards.

The figure that doesn't add up

With all these drawbacks, summer remains the star season of tourism marketing. Spain expects to welcome 150 million visitors this year. Yet the same country that sells sun and beach to millions of tourists has its own residents calling a preference for summer a "flaw". Perhaps the paradox resolves itself like this: summer is perfect for those who can escape it.