Not every country suffers from intense heat and so tourists visiting Australia may not realise that the kind of heat they are likely to encounter in outback areas or during heatwaves during summer can actually kill. This summer has been one of the hottest experienced for several years so it is likely to catch people unawares. Some of the things we do to cool off in summer are no longer safe when the temperature climbs to 36 or 40C.
Here are 21 tips to keep you healthy in the hot weather.
- Stay out of the sun. Even wearing sunscreen and a hat won’t protect you from the heat that is reflected from pavement.
- If you have to work outside, don’t wear shorts as your legs will burn. Wear cotton pants and long sleeves.
- Don’t wear synthetic fabrics in the heat, they will make you sweat and lose more fluid.
- Keep in air conditioning if possible. Spend the day in the mall or library if you don’t have it at home.
- Stay away from the beach. The water may cool you but you’ll get sunburned on all those portions that are not under the water – including your head.
- Never sit on the sand, even if you are covered up and under an umbrella. The sand reflects heat and you can get burned or suffer from dehydration.
- Drink plenty of fluids – more than you may think you need.
- If you feel hot, don’t drink something that is hotter.
- If you can’t get into air conditioning, stay in the shade and use water to cool yourself down.
- Sitting with your feel in cool water can help, as can dampening your clothes.
- Eat cool or cold fruit such as watermelon or rockmelon
- Avoid ice-cream that makes you more thirsty.
- Find a breeze to sit in so long as it is not a hot one. A fan inside helps.
- At night, have a damp washer to place over your face or arms.
- Fill a clean spray bottle with water to spray your face and arms with.
- Do physically hard work early in the day so you can rest during the hottest part of the day.
- Cook food when it is cooler so your kitchen doesn’t get too hot.
- Don’t let your kids use the slide or trampoline on a hot day as the surfaces are likely to burn them.
- Don’t go from really hot to really cold too suddenly, i.e. walking in from outside to a cold a/c can make you feel ill or faint, as can doing the opposite.
- If you are really hot, don’t sit directly in the cold breeze from the a/c.
- Don’t step on sand or pavement with bare feet.