Looking at photographs of cold weather can help to regulate your body temperature in a heatwave.
We’re not kidding - this isn’t some old wives’ tale, or an invention of mainstream media - but instead backed up by science.
Studies published in the Plos One journal showed that seeing landscapes associated with cold temperatures causes a reaction known as temperature contagion. The bright snow and harsh white colours trick our brains and can reduce your body temperature by a whole degree, in some cases.
All of that to say, it’s still very warm in Portsmouth today, even if the worst of the heatwave is behind us - so here are some pictures from years gone by, when the city was covered in a blanket of snow.
1. A dusting of snow on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, on Monday, January 5, 2026.
A dusting of snow on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, on Monday, January 5, 2026. | Sarah Standing
2. Snow at Butser Hill, Portsmouth on Monday, January 5, 2026. Pictured is Simon, 11, with Lola the sheep dog and Frankie, nine, with Sasha the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Snow at Butser Hill, Portsmouth on Monday, January 5, 2026. Pictured is Simon, 11, with Lola the sheep dog and Frankie, nine, with Sasha the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. | Habibur Rahman
3. A dusting of snow on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, on Monday, January 5, 2026.
A dusting of snow on Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth, on Monday, January 5, 2026. | Sarah Standing
4. Horndean covered in snow, in November 2024.
Horndean covered in snow, in November 2024. | Marcin Jedrysiak