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In the UK these days there is a heatwave, and we love it, for we have a long period of rainy and cloudy sky; however, even during the heatwave or the hot weather, it is good to keep cool in order to be safe and avoid any health problems or hazards.
You can say that most people know how to keep cool, and there are so many websites out there that show you how to do this and that in order to keep cool during a heatwave, but we at Sparks would like to compile some practical tips on how to keep cool during the hot weather.
Not only do parents with small children need to know these things but all people need to apply them properly, otherwise extreme heat can be deadly to some, affecting those younger or older among us, pregnant women, and those who have chronic health conditions.
Practical Tips to Keep Cool during a Heatwave of Hot Weather
Keep your Home Cool during the Day and Ventilate at Night
We love opening our windows to properly ventilate and allow any odours or stale air to get out of the house. However, during the hot weather, it is not the right time to do it.
If you want to keep your home cool during a heatwave, it's best to keep the warm air out during the day and ventilate the home at night.
A practical way to do it is to close the windows and the blinds when the sun is shining the brightest and it is the hottest outside, and have a fan ventilate the air within the home.
Closing the windows is not good enough: closing the curtains and blinds is necessary.
Then, in the evening or during the night, we can open the blinds and the windows and allow the air to circulate, since the air is much cooler at night.
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Don't Generate More Heat Indoors
One obvious tip for keeping cool during a heatwave is turning off your central heating.
Furthermore, we need to make sure we don't generate more heat indoors so that the air remains cool.
This means it is good to turn off and unplug any appliances or electronics we do not use, and turn off the lamps or lights that we don't need.
Furthermore, the cooking time can be restricted or reduced, since the heat from cooking can quickly heat up the whole house.
Ventilate the Home Effectively
Though we may not use electric fans most of the year, during a heatwave they are most necessary, for they can help ventilate when the temperature is below 35 degrees.
If it is over 35 degrees, the fans will simply spread warm air around the home.
Ceiling fans in particular are recommended, since they can quickly cool down a room, pushing down the cooler air.
Portable fans are useful in the house in different rooms to ventilate the home effectively.
Be Smart when being in the Sun!
Even though we love being in the sun and we even seek it, it's best to avoid being in the sun for long periods of time during the hottest hours of the day, mainly between 11 am and 3.00 pm.
Furthermore, if you are in the sun, don't forget your sunscreen (to be applied regularly) and your hat.
Also, take regular breaks indoors or in shaded areas to avoid heatstroke or heat exhaustion. As for clothing, it is advisable to use light-coloured clothing, loose-fitting, to help you stay cool.
Learn to Cool Yourself Down
One way to cool down is to take a quick shower, not a hot shower but a colder one. Another way is to drench a t-shirt and keep it wet as you wear it, or get a cooling spray to spray yourself and keep cool.
A quick way to cool yourself down is simply to put your hands and feet in cold water since the wrists and ankles have lots of pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you will cool down quickly.
If possible, do not exercise a lot when in the sun, avoiding physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day.
A very welcomed activity is swimming; going for a swim during warmer weather can provide much-welcomed relief.
Hydrate, Hydrate, and Hydrate! Drink Water!
It is recommended to avoid alcoholic drinks or sweetened drinks, including fizzy drinks, during a heatwave, since they rather dehydrate the body instead of adding water to it.
Carrying a water bottle with you during a heatwave is recommended, and drinking regularly from it is something we should all practice.
It is important to avoid caffeine and instead drink a lot of water.
We do not realize how much we sweat during the hot weather or the heatwave, so when we have a dry mouth, dizziness or confusion, and headaches, we need to drink some water. Water always helps.
Eat Lighter Meals
Instead of eating heavy meals, it's best to eat lighter meals to feel cooler during a heatwave. Light, well-balanced, regular meals are the best.
There are plenty of foods that have a high water content such as strawberries, cucumbers, celery, and lettuce, which will help us keep cool during a heatwave.
Also, it is good to eat foods with high fluid contents like soups and stews, for they contribute toward hydration levels.
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Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke - know the risks
Whether we think we are strong or weak, a heatwave can have an impact on our physical health.
For example, when our body loses excess water, salt, and sugars through sweating, we may get heat exhaustion; this can be treated by drinking plenty of water, keeping out of the sun, and cooling ourselves down.
When the temperature of our body becomes dangerously high and it is no longer able to control itself, we may experience a heat stroke, with symptoms such as confusion, headache, nausea, and muscle cramps, and the skin may be paler than normal.
This is why it is good to know how to cool ourselves down.
These are some of the practical tips on staying cool during the heatwave; many more can be found on the websites listed below.
It is always good to check the latest weather forecast and temperature warning before we go out of the house and keep cool both ourselves and those around us.
If we know of any vulnerable ones or see some who are affected by the heat, we need to know how to help them or contact the related specialists who can help.
Keep Cool During a Heatwave - Further advice
- How to keep your home cool - Advice and tips for cooling your house down during periods of hot weather and heatwaves, via, the Red Cross.
- What science says about staying cool in a heatwave - Soaring temperatures make daily life uncomfortable, but also pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. Here is our guide to getting through one. Via BBC.
- Tips for keeping cool in hot weather Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot for too long, there are health risks. Read more via MET Office.
- Staying cool in summer: Top tips to keep cool in hot weather, via, the Red Cross.
- How to keep your home cool in hot weather - How can you stop your home retaining too much heat during periods of hot weather? More via, BBC.
- Hot weather and health: guidance and advice: Extreme heat presents a number of risks to health. This guidance helps professionals and the public address those risks. More via, Gov.uk.
- Heatwaves: How to stay cool. What’s the best advice for staying safe during a heatwave? How do I keep my body cool during a heatwave? What should I do if I feel unwell during a heatwave? How do I keep my home cool during a heatwave? Read more via WHO.
- UK heatwave: five ways to stay cool and safe - We look at how to handle hot conditions, from staying inside to knowing when to seek help. More via, The Guardian.
- UK heatwave: Top tips to stay cool in the hot weather - including a trick used by the Royal Navy. Authorities advise checking on neighbours and even putting pyjamas in the freezer before bedtime during the week-long heatwave. More via, Sky News.
