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Hot weather can affect our lives in many different ways.

In this article you can learn about:

• The advantages and disadvantages of hot weather
• What we can do to stay cool and safe during warm weather
• How hot weather affects plants and animals

This resource is suitable for weather topics for primary school learners.

Watch this video to learn how hot weather affects people, plants and animals.

• Warm weather means we usually spend more time outside: playing, cycling, having a picnic or a barbecue.
• When it's warm, we want icy drinks and colder foods, like salads or ice cream. They help to cool our body temperature and keep us hydrated as we tend to sweat a lot more during hot weather.
• When sweat evaporates, it draws heat away from our skin and cools the body down. When it's hot, humans can sweat up to 5 litres a day! That's why it's very important to drink lots of water in hot weather.
• If it's too hot, it can be difficult to concentrate in class or get to sleep at night.
• At home, you won't need the heating on and you might open your windows more to let cooler air in.

Learn more: How do humans maintain temperature and water balance?

• Very high temperatures can melt road surfaces and bend railway lines.
• Some plants, like a tomato plant, will wilt if temperatures are too high.
• Many animals struggle if it gets too hot. We have to take extra care of our pets during hot weather and make sure they have access to shade and plenty of water to drink.
• Some animals love the heat. Cold-blooded animals, like snakes and other reptiles, prefer hot conditions because they need the sun's heat to stay warm.
• Tropical fruit, like mangoes and bananas, grow best in hot humid climates. That's why we usually import tropical fruit from far away places, like South America, where it is much warmer.

• hydrate - Adding water to something. When it is warm we can dehydrate so it's important we drink plenty of water.
• wilt - When a plant becomes limp and droopy.
• cold-blooded animals - Animals that rely on the sun's heat to stay warm. All reptiles, like snakes and lizards, are cold-blooded so they tend to live in places with warmer weather. Cold-blooded animals are also known as conformers.
• tropical - Hot and humid weather. Tropical fruit, like mangoes and bananas, grow best in warm weather.

Test your knowledge of hot weather with this short multiple choice quiz.

Create a fact file about an animal or plant that thrives in hot weather.

In the video at the top of the page, we learned that cold-blooded animals, like snakes, tend to live in hotter countries and tropical fruit, like mangoes, grow best in warmer climates.

Research an animal or plant that lives in a very hot place. Write a short report and explain to your reader why they live or grow best in places with hotter temperatures.

If you need some more help writing your fact file, you can get more information here: How to write a report

Here are some articles to help you with your research: