12 photos that show why summer is the worst season
- Summer is on its way, which means the start of hurricane season.
- The days are filled with blistering temperatures and the nights are filled with mosquitoes.
- In years past, summer might have seemed the perfect time to visit your favorite beach — but unfortunately everyone else had the same idea.
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While summer brings warmer weather, longer evenings, and garden barbecues, it also brings sunburn and sweat. Roadways and beaches are more crowded, and insects like mosquitoes are on the prowl.
Here are 12 photos that show why summer is our least favorite season.
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Temperatures rise in the summer — often unbearably so.
In the immortal words of Nelly, "It's getting hot in herre." The summer heat wave pushes temperatures to a blistering 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some parts of the country like Arizona and Florida.
A short walk can make you feel like you just ran a marathon ...
Going for a midday run — or even a quick stroll — can leave you looking like you just stepped out of the bath. Spending 10 minutes outside when the sun's overhead is just asking for a face full of sweat. It's best to save those 5-mile runs and workouts for either the early mornings or late afternoons, according to Runner's World.
... and you have to pack a change of clothes in case things get sweaty.
Sweating helps regulate body temperature, but there's nothing more embarrassing than arriving to work or going on a date with your shirt drenched in sweat. It's good to prepare ahead for any unfortunate accidents, especially if you walk or bike as your primary mode of transportation.
The streets are filled with foul odors and smells.
The month of May may bring the smell of flowers, but the months of June and July bring the stench of garbage wafting in the breeze, especially in cities like New York. As previously reported by Business Insider, the increased heat and humidity of summer days allow bacteria to grow faster, allowing smells to travel farther.
Your frozen treats won't last as long in that summer heat.
Due to the increased temperatures, you have less time to enjoy your ice cream cone before it becomes a sticky mess covering your hands or getting all over your clothes.
The beaches are usually crowded with people attempting to get that summer tan ...
The coronavirus pandemic has canceled a lot of people's summer plans, but people apparently still love sunshine, sand, and water. According to NBC, a large crowd gathered on the beaches in California despite a stay-at-home order.
In years past, finding an empty spot in the sand has been a bit like playing a game of Where's Waldo?
... but they're more likely to get a sunburn.
During the summer, more people are active outdoors, whether that's on a hiking trail or at the beach, increasing their chances of getting a sunburn.
According to the Weather Channel, people are more likely to get a sunburn in spring and early summer due to an increase in ultra violet rays from the sun. Sunburn increases a person's risk of eventually developing skin cancer, especially if it occurred early in a person's life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It means you have to wear copious amounts of sticky sunscreen lotion.
Even though they are necessary to protect your skin, most sunscreen lotions leave you feeling greasy or sticky, often with a nauseating faux coconut smell. There should be a better alternative than feeling like you rolled in an oil slick or turning bright tomato red.
Cooling down in your house often seems like the only option, but it can lead to high energy bills.
At the height of summer, you want nothing more than to stick your face in front of an AC vent or fan, but air conditioners could be the cause of that increase in your power bill.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, cooling and heating homes accounted for 29% of the 2018 residential electricity consumption. According to the Guardian, an air conditioning unit cooling a single room consumes more power than four refrigerators, and a unit cooling a whole house consumes more power than 15 fridges.
The warm weather brings out swarms of mosquitoes and other unwanted insects.
Mosquitoes are nature's nuisances for anyone going for an evening stroll or trying to go camping during the summer. These bloodsuckers can leave you covered in itchy welts but also spread diseases, according to the CDC. The mosquito population thrives in hot, humid environments, according to Scientific America.
For people who are allergic to bees, yellow jackets, and wasps, walking outside in the spring and summer is like walking across a minefield.
Maintaining your yard is time-consuming and exhausting.
Whoever said there's nothing like the smell of fresh cut grass never had to cut it on a weekly basis. For those who are fortunate enough to have a yard, it becomes a weekly battle to stop the weeds from overtaking it. Yard work is worse in the summer because of the increased temperature.
With summer comes hurricane season and the potential for severe thunderstorms.
According to the Weather Channel, thunderstorms are more common in the summer because the days last longer, allowing more heat and energy to build. Hurricane season starts June 1 and lasts until November 30, and for some, the storms can be deadly.