So is 33°C considered hot on your side(s) of the pond? Because it was 43°C with 60% humidity here last week... 

Yes 33°C is considered quite hot in the UK but fortunately the temperature rarely exceeds 30°C for more than perhaps 15 days a year. The humidity is often quite high however.
Very few homes have AC here as high temperatures are generally not much of an issue. Cold and rain is more typical of UK weather.
Today is a bit cooler at 29°C and 54% humidity.

I'm in one of the colder parts of Australia, so temperatures over 40°c are rare, though last summer had days of 38°c in the afternoons regularly. It's currently the end of winter here, and the lowest temperatures that I noticed were just below 0 in the mornings.