Heatwaves: How to stay cool

To protect yourself during a heatwave, you should:

• Keep your body cool and hydrated.
• Keep your home cool.
• Protect infants and children.
• Stay out of the heat. Avoid going outside during the hottest time of the ay.
• Stay in the shade. Remember that reported temperatures are measured in the shade, and it can be 10-15˚C hotter in the sun.
• Avoid strenuous physical activity if you can. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the day, which can be in the morning between 04:00 and 07:00
• Do not leave children or animals in parked vehicles. 
• Move to the coolest room in the home, especially at night.
• If it is not possible to keep your home cool, spend 2–3 hours of the day in a cool place (such as an airconditioned public building).
• Regularly check in with vulnerable people in your circle – especially people over 65 years old and those with heart, lung, or kidney conditions, a disability, and living alone.

Do the following to keep cool during a heatwave:

• Use light and loose-fitting clothing and bed linens.  In order to avoid heat accumulation, do not use cushions.
• Take cool showers or baths.
• Wet your skin using a damp cloth, a spray bottle, or wet clothing.
• Drink water regularly (1 cup of water per hour and at least 2–3 litres per day).  Avoid alcohol and too much caffeine.
• If you go outside, wear a wide-brimmed hat or cap and sunglasses.

Heatstroke is a potentially fatal medical emergency. Seek medical attention immediately if you or others feel faint, dizzy, or nauseous, stop sweating, show signs of delirium or lose consciousness.

It’s crucial to take heatstroke seriously and act quickly, as delays can lead to severe complications or even death.

1. Call for emergency medical help

Dial emergency services immediately to get professional medical assistance on the way before doing anything else.

2. Aggressive cooling

Use any available means to cool the person down while waiting for medical help. Move the person to a shady or air-conditioned location immediately and apply cold, wet cloths or towels to their body. Use ice packs and fans if available. Loosen or remove any unnecessary clothing to help the person cool down.

3. Monitor until help arrives

Keep a close eye on the person’s condition while waiting for medical assistance. Look for signs of improvement or deterioration.

Do not give the person suffering heatstroke acetylsalicylic acid (commonly known as asprin) or paracetamol. Position an unconscious person on their side.

If you feel dizzy, weak, anxious or have intense thirst and headache during a heatwave, it is best to move to a cool place as soon as possible and measure your body temperature. Drink some water to rehydrate.

Rest immediately in a cool place if you have painful muscular spasms (particularly in the legs, arms or abdomen), and drink oral rehydration solutions containing electrolytes. Medical attention is needed if heat cramps last more than 1 hour. Consult your doctor if you feel unusual symptoms or if symptoms persist.

During a heatwave you should aim to keep your living space cool. Check the room temperature between 08:00 and 10:00, at 13:00 and at night after 22:00. Ideally, the room temperature should be kept below 32 °C during the day and 24 °C during the night. This is especially important for infants, adults over the age of 60 years or those who have chronic health conditions.

• Use the night air to cool down your home by opening windows after dark.
• During the day, close windows and cover them with blinds or shutters to block sunlight. Turn off as many electrical devices as possible.
• Use electric fans only when temperatures are below 40 ˚C. In temperatures above 40 ˚C fans will heat the body.
  
• If using air conditioning, set the thermostat to 27 ˚C and turn on an electric fan, this will make the room feel 4 ˚C cooler.
• Remember that it may be cooler outdoors in the shade.

If your residence is air conditioned, close the doors and windows and conserve electricity not needed to keep you cool, to ensure that power remains available and reduce the chance of a community-wide outage. Electric fans may provide relief, but when the temperature is above 35 °C, may not prevent heat-related illness. It is important to drink fluids.

To protect children during a heatwave:

• Never leave children or animals in parked vehicles for any amount of time, as temperatures can quickly become dangerously high. 
• Avoid direct exposure to the sun during peak hours, seeking shade or staying indoors instead. 
• Never cover an infant stroller or pram with dry fabric.  Doing so makes it hotter inside the carriage. Instead, use a wet, thin cloth and re-wet as necessary to lower the temperature. Combine with a portable fan for even greater cooling.
• Dress children in lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that covers their skin, and use wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect them from the sun’s rays.
• Follow the guidance on keeping your home cool to maintain a safe indoor temperature.