I am from India,who has shifted to the UK. It’s been 3-4 years, however UK summers feel unbearable compared to Indian summers. My skin feels like it’s burning at 25° in the UK but 25° in India is so much more pleasant. I understand that it’s closer to the sun since the earth is slightly tilted, but make it make sense that my skin burns while in the UK, but I’m just really sweaty in India, without the burning sensation.
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I’d say there’s a few factors:
1. People say humidity, but it’s unlikely to account for much, much of India is significantly more humid then the UK.
2. Air conditioning. This may not seem like it counts for much, as it’s only in effect inside, but most of our day consists of moving from one indoor space to another. If you’re moving between air conditioned spaces your body has a much easier time dealing with heat, as it takes time for heat to start exhaust you (by which time you’ve entered an indoor air conditioned space). I was in Barcelona during a heat wave, and what made it truly unbearable was not the raw temperature, but the lack of AC in most buildings rendering that heat inescapable. In India, on the other hand, AC is more common (I’m assuming India is similar to South East Asia, as I’ve never been to India).
3. The psychology element that others note probably is also relevant.
4. Indians tend to wear turbans, caps and loose clothes that cover more of the body(especially the head and shoulders). Ironically, this style is more effective then what the typical Brit wears in hot weather (IE as little as possible) when it comes to thermal regulation. You might have started to dress like a local. Put on a turban, lungi and dhoti and you might find the heat easier to deal with. Indians also often use parasols.
5. Britain, especially in the suburbs, tends to have wide expanses of tarmac, lawns, loads of cars and little in the way of tree cover. India tends to have narrow streets and lots of trees and far less cars. The Indian streets will feel cooler. The most intense version of this will be if you get out of your car in a big suburban car park. The Tarmac gets so hot you could probably fry an egg on it. These kinds of expanses of tarmac are far less common in India simply because far less people drive (and the urban planning thus, isn’t built around driving).
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