Doctor shares why some men get a ‘summer penis’ as rare extreme heat warning issued
Here in the UK, we spend most of the year praying for warm weather, only to complain when it actually comes around.
The Super El Nino weather phenomenon means that we're likely to have a few heatwaves this summer, with the next expected this coming week, with the Met Office even issuing an amber weather warning ahead of predicted temperatures of up to 35 degrees in some places.
Much like the winter can have an undesired effect on a gentleman's nether regions, increased temperatures can actually have the opposite effect, which sounds far nicer than freezing our b*llocks off.
Although it might well be too hot to actually use our meat and two veg with another person, considering temperatures in some parts of the UK will be well over 30 degrees next week, you might like the way it looks.
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That's because of something known as 'summer penis', and luckily a doctor has given a scientific expert opinion about why exactly it is that our penises seem bigger in the summer and smaller in the winter.
"It’s not an official medical thing, just something people have noticed and talked about," Dr Tang said.
"The idea is that in warmer months, especially when it’s hot and humid, the heat causes your blood vessels to expand a bit, which can make things down there look a bit different."
There's no guarantees that the 'summer penis' sensation will impact you, nor is there an exact temperature to trigger it, but a summer heatwave is the most likely time if any.
"When it’s hot, your body naturally tries to cool down by widening the blood vessels, which can make more blood flow to places like your hands, feet, and even your penis," Dr Tang continued.
However, there are also some changes you'll need to look out for during the summer months, as if things get too sweaty down there, you could be susceptible to the dreaded 'crotch rot'.
But as long as you can stay cool and hydrated in the next few weeks, as Super El Nino threatens to disrupt all our sleep patterns and make walking the dogs a nightmare, then 'summer penis' really shouldn't be a bad thing.
Dr Sarah Jarvis added some expertise on the summer penis and sadly explained that it's almost like an optical illusion, just on your genitals.
The GP and clinical director of Patient.info also told the publication last year: "Technically when you're hot, as well as when you are excited, then your blood vessels may expand.
"When blood vessels on the surface are a bit bigger, then things are going to look a bit bigger.
"But your penis is not growing, it's just your blood vessels growing slightly larger as a way to reduce heat. It's not going to make you perform better either - when you are erect your penis is swollen to the max anyway."
It's only natural to have a bit of an ego boost when things start to look a little larger down there, unless you're the lad who has the biggest in the world, as any more inches, even if it's only perception rather than growth, isn't going to be great.
James Moorhouse