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More than 30 degrees Celsius are expected this weekend. Airing out in the morning hours, taking a siesta at midday, and taking lukewarm showers – a few tips to cool down.
It’s going to be hot these coming days. Not only soils and plants are suffering. People are also suffering from the heat and the high UV exposure.
It is hottest in the late afternoon
The sun is highest at noon. However, not at noon, but because daylight saves time, only around 1 o’clock. But that’s not when it’s warmest. The air temperature reaches its maximum only with a few hours delay. This is because streets, roofs, and houses only heat up during the day and then give off a lot of heat. This adds up.
In cities, the highest temperatures are not measured until between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. That means late afternoon is when it’s most important to protect yourself from the heat. Don’t forget a sun hat and lotion!
Warm drinks and lukewarm showers help
If you take cold showers in the heat, go to the open-air swimming pool or bathing lake and drink ice-cold drinks, you first lower your body temperature. This is beneficial, but the effect is short-lived—the blood vessels contract in the cold to prevent heat loss. The cool water stimulates the circulation. In addition, the body readjusts to the outside temperature and produces even more sweat than before.
That’s why North Africans prefer to drink peppermint tea. The additional heat signal ensures that you sweat lightly, which leads to pleasant evaporative cooling.
Darken, ventilate and cool sheets in the heat
Especially at night, it is difficult to fall asleep and recover in warm temperatures. That’s why it’s essential to darken your home during the day to keep the heat out. Blankets, sheets, and pillows can be left in the freezer until bedtime. This refreshes and makes it easier to fall asleep.
In the early morning hours, temperatures go down the farthest: the best time to ventilate. But you can also tilt the windows during the day and create a draft. But don’t overdo it with the currents, or you could get summer flu! This can also happen if air conditioners are set too cool.
Take a siesta instead of exercising and drink plenty of fluids
The hotter it gets, the less you should physically exert yourself outdoors. Increased ozone levels in hot weather can also harm the lungs. A siesta is not introduced in companies, but the lunch break can still be used to find a cool place, eat only light food and drink plenty of fluids.
You should drink a good liter and a half a day – up to twice that amount in hot weather and during exercise. To compensate for water loss during endurance sports, experts advise drinking about one liter of fluid per hour of exercise. Mineral water, fruit juices, or isotonic drinks are best suited because they return the minerals consumed to the body.
Heat endangers especially babies, seniors, and sick people
Deer are currently lying lazily in the shade of the forest. They seek food in the cool evening and morning hours. Wild pigs seek out moist wallows and shallow pools. Foxes stay in the den in the heat and take a long siesta. Bumblebees use their wings like propellers and provide at least slightly cooling for their brood by flapping their wings at high speed.
Because of the heat, many people are currently stocking up on fans. They get the air moving and provide a draft. It feels more relaxed, but the room temperature does not drop due to the artificially generated wind. The sweat on the skin evaporates quickly in the draft, which can dehydrate the body in the worst case. Fans should therefore be used with caution.
Especially with infants and small children, parents must ensure that children stay in the shade, wear sunscreen, are covered in lotion, and drink more fluids than usual. Older people generally drink little, which is especially fatal during the heat wave. Those who take medication should talk to their family doctor about whether the dosage needs to be changed during extreme heat.
- hp/picture: Bild von Gerd Altmann auf Pixabay
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