Glastonbury heatwave? Tips on surviving the hot weather as Met Office forecast predicts festival could be a scorcher

While the Glastonbury Festival is famous for the wet years, when seas of mud stretch as far as the eye can see, it seems hot weather is fast becoming the most common issue revellers are having to battle against. And as a Glasto veteran, I can say both extremes of weather are equally difficult to contend with.

Anyone who has ever visited the festival when the sun is in full force will be well aware of the serious lack of shade available, though it is something organisers appear to have addressed in recent years, with a lot of extra shelter provided. But it's still not easy - the occasional trees are fenced off, so no chance of sitting under their boughs for a moment’s respite, and the undercover stages, along with bars situated in tents, are oppressively hot.

Often, the only thing blocking out the sun’s harsh rays are the toilet blocks - which absolutely nobody wants to cluster around - although people still do in sheer desperation.

So, what can you do to prepare yourself for a sunny, rather than wet, Glastonbury Festival? Here are my tips, from someone who has been there, done it and lived to tell the tale...

Top tips for surviving a sunny Glastonbury Festival

Getting the obvious out of the way, it is of course advisable to drink plenty of water and wear sunscreen - this is the bare minimum you should be doing. Nobody wants sun stroke.

During the extremely hot 2010 Glastonbury Festival, which I will always fondly remember as the Willie Nelson year, it became almost unbearable at times. Everyone was in search of even the merest suggestion of shade and when it was found it was usually piled high with lobster-coloured revellers who’d forgotten the factor 50.

What saved me that year, and at every scorcher since, were these three things. First, I replaced every other drink of beer with a pint of water, literally rinsing my beer cup out and filling it at the nearest drinking water refill spot. Not only did this keep me hydrated but it also reduced my alcohol consumption - another thing medics suggest you do in hot weather to avoid dehydration.

Secondly, I always wear a hat, and just like my country music idol Willie, it has to be a cowboy hat for me. After some trial and error, I realised this style of headgear shades not only the face, but the back of the neck too and, if you get the right fitting one, they don’t keep blowing off at the slightest hint of a breeze either.

Last of all, pack light. Don’t underestimate the distance from the car parks to the site - and then from the gate to the campsites. You. Will. Walk. For. Miles. And walking for miles in the blistering heat while carrying a tent and everything else you’ve managed to stuff into the boot of a Renault Clio (or similar) is no fun - especially when you would rather be reclining in a field with a cool beer and chilled-out tunes.

Oh, and one bonus tip - your tent will be like a furnace, so you may as well get up early and go to bed late - this method also means you’ll have even more hours to enjoy the greatest festival on earth. So it’s a win-win.