We are having another heatwave in Europe again... Temperatures have been above 35°C the past days and will rise to 38°C and stay there the coming days. And it barely cools down at night. I know many people in the south are used to these kind of temperatures, but we are not.
Here in Germany houses are built to trap the heat inside and most houses including schools and workplaces have no air conditioning, usually not even ventilation. All of our architecture is designed for cold weather. The houses oftentimes get hotter than it is outside, especially the parts directly under the roof. And even if you open the windows at night the heat barely leaves the house, because the insulation is supposed to trap the heat inside.
What concerns me the most is how people say that this is just our new normal now... When I was a child in the early 2000s we were allowed to leave school early as soon as temperatures hit 32°C (usually earlier) because the heat was considered too much to handle and to work in. It was considered an active danger especially to children or elderly people. Now kids are supposed to work in 38°C, canceling school because of the heat does no longer exist, where I live. A while ago I saw kids in the direct sun, doing their sports class in this heat. This would have been unthinkable back in my days.
Everyone is supposed to go on with their day as if we have not broken heat records with every new year...
I’m so sick of the German media coverage for extreme heat being “just enjoy the summer near a lake/ in a pool :-)” so here’s what you should really do to stay safe:
PSA for heatwaves
drink enough water! At least 2 litres, up to 3 litres depending on how much you sweat. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks cause they dehydrate you.
stay inside or in the shade as much as you can. Reported temperatures are measured in the shade, and it can be 10-15˚C hotter in the sun.
when you go outside, always wear a hat and sunglasses and wear thin and loose clothes from natural fibres that cover most of your skin.
where skin is exposed, put sunscreen on with SPF 50+ for lighter skin tones and at least SPF 30+ for darker skin tones. Depending on the UV index, you need to reapply sunscreen every 1,5 to 3 hours.
take short cool showers twice a day, let your hair dry in the warm air.
ventilate your home before 10 am and after 8 pm. In between, keep all windows and doors shut and shut the blinds or shutters too.
if you have an air conditioner, set the thermostat not lower than 24˚C to 27˚C so your body can adjust when you have to go outside.
if you can’t install an air conditioner, at least get an electric fan. Only use it when the temperature is below 40˚C or it will heat the body.
if your home can’t be kept cool enough, spent 2 to 3 hours in air conditioned buildings like supermarkets.
DO NO LEAVE CHILDREN, ANIMALS OR ELDERLY PEOPLE IN PARKED VEHICLES!!!
Feel free to add more tips in the comments! But don’t add climate crisis denial, we should be way past that.
Sorry for posting so much about the heatwave rn. It's fucking hot and thousands of people are dying and all i see is americans making fun of us and acting like we're idiots. I know i enjoy heat, and i'm not even having that bad of a time right now, but i'm pretty much the only person in the world saying that rn and people are dying and me not fully minding being slow cooked as much as everyone else does not diminish that. It's pissing me off and I don't usually get angry ever. But if I see one more fuckass american go "lol just get ac and stop whining" i'm going to come over there and kill you with my bare hands. Not even our HOSPITALS have ac. Why the fuck do you think we are CHOOSING to live like this? Do you really think we wouldn't fucking do it if it was easy? Fuck you
Practical Tips for Surviving the Heat and Staying Cool: From someone who regularly works outdoors in 30°C/80°F plus temperatures
Stay hydrated (and drink water before you need it, not after)
The best way to avoid heatstroke is to stay hydrated, and the best way to stay hydrated is to drink water.
The more active you are in the heat, the more you'll sweat, and the more water you'll need to drink. There isn't an exact amount I can tell you because it varies with temperature and activity level and every body is different, but if you're doing anything more than just sitting - take a generous drink of water every 30 minutes at minimum. More if you're running around doing stuff.
If it's hot and you know you are going to be outside ahead of time, the first thing you should do when you wake up in the morning is drink a big glass of water. What kind of glass? I don't care as long as the container is roughly 8oz or more. You can drink it with your morning coffee or tea, and you'll likely need to pee like a racehorse after the fact, but it's better to start your day from 100% hydration levels, rather than trying to make up the difference after you've started sweating. If you start late, it's usually too late. So drink water early and often.
Invest in a reusable water bottle
I'm from Colorado. Reusable water bottles are a thing in Colorado because of our hot summers and the altitude. They come in tons of different styles and materials and sizes, you can put stickers on them if you want to decorate them, some of them are close to indestructible and can double as self-defense weapons in an emergency.
If you do not have a reusable water bottle, invest in one and take it with you everywhere. I never leave my house without a water bottle.
I really like stainless steel insulated ones because they do a good job of keeping liquids cold/hot regardless of what the temperature is outside. However, if you can't afford a bougie water bottle, any kind of container with a lid, that is leak proof, and that is convenient for you to carry will work. Buy bottled water and reuse the bottle until it breaks. Cleaned out milk jug or juice container? Sure. Recycled pickle jar? Okay, might have an aftertaste, but why not. One of your kid's sippy cups? Absolutely. Washed out wine bottle with a cork, hell yeah if you don't mind going old school and carrying a glass bottle around.
I still recommend some kind of water bottle that is insulated because it's way more refreshing to drink a cold beverages on a hot day, but your body does not care if the water you're drinking is ice cold, is lukewarm, or tastes slightly like pickles. Water is water.
And always having water accessible to you when it's hot out is crucial for staying hydrated.
Electrolytes
Plain ol' water is still the best in terms of hydration, but beverages with electrolytes can save your ass. Especially, if like me, you work outside or have to work in a building that has limited AC. Electrolyte beverages are not a replacement for water, and the average person should not be consuming more than one in a 24hr period, but they can help you stay hydrated for longer. Gatorade, Powerade, Pedialyte etc. (I don't know what other brands are available elsewhere in the world, but wherever you are there's probably something locally available.)
Powdered electrolyte supplements are really popular in the USA right now too, and there are a variety of options available. Liquid IV has been a game changer for me. They're powder packets that I can take on the go, mix up in my reusable water bottle whenever I need it, and I can buy a 30 pack at Costco for $28 which is cheaper than an ambulance ride for heatstroke because healthcare in the USA sucks.
Avoid excessive amounts of salt, caffeine, and alcohol
Speaking of salt, avoid eating ultra processed and super salty foods in large quantities. Some salt is good (I <3 pickles), but too much and you'll just feel gross when it's hot out, it can exacerbate the effects of dehydration, and you're body is probably gonna desire a freakishly large amount of water after which you may not be able to provide.
While you don't necessarily need to cut out all caffeine and alcohol consumption, keep in mind that they're both diuretics, will make you pee more, and will not assist you in staying hydrated.
Clothing: keep it light and keep it loose
Sorry to you goths and alternative babes out there, but light colored and loose clothing is best in a heatwave. Lighter colors help reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption. Loose and thinner fabrics promote better air circulation than form-fitting clothes, and help facilitate evaporative cooling better. As for material, doesn't really make that much of a difference, you can go synthetic or natural. It's personal preference and whatever is available. Sweaty wet fabric is sweaty wet fabric.
Stay out of the sun, and, if you can't find shade, make your own
I live on the shortgrass prairie, so shade is naturally nonexistent out here and I'm used to being fully blasted by the rays of the sun at 6,000 ft above sea level. If you are not used to the heat though, do whatever you can to stay out of the sun, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Stay inside if you can. Shade can offer as much a 10° difference in temperature or more. Avoid loitering in areas with full sun exposure and lots of impermeable surfaces, such as parking lots. Green spaces are cooler than concrete and asphalt.
If you have limited access to shade, wide brim hats and umbrellas provide mobile options.
Be a wet blanket
If you have a spare bandanna, neck scarf, kitchen towel, hand towel, literally any piece of scrap fabric, wet the fabric and lay it across the back of your neck. Repeat if needed once the fabric starts drying. It might clash with your fashion style and you may have water marks on your shirt, but it'll help cool you off.
Sweating is good for you
You're gonna be sweaty. Sweating is how your body stays cool enough to regulate body temperature. It also may be a little stinky. Embrace being sweaty and appreciate it for what it does. If you're sweating a lot, drink more water!
Humidity is not your friend
It's typically bone-dry where I live, I don't know how people in tropical locations do it, but y'all do. Higher levels humidity mean your sweat isn't at efficient at cooling because it has nowhere to go in the air. There's not really a fix for this point, but be advised. It does feel hotter where it's more humid.
Recognize and become familiar with the signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke
I've experienced all three of these things at some point of my life, and I can tell you none of them are fun. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are what are essentially steps 1 and 2 before you get to heatstroke. If you are able to stay hydrated, you can avoid all of these. Heatstroke is considered a medical emergency, so if you or anyone starts experiencing the symptoms of heatstroke call emergency services, get indoors/to shade, and do whatever you can to cool the person off.
Heat exhaustion symptoms: cool/moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat, heavy sweating, faintness, dizziness, fatigue, weak pulse, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, nausea, headache
Heatstroke symptoms: core body temperature of 40°C/104°F or higher; changes in mental state including faintness, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, seizures, and coma; changes in sweating pattern, nausea and vomiting, flush skin, rapid breathing, high heart rate, headache
Cooling your spaces
If you have AC or live in a basement dungeon, great, your living space is probably already cool enough that you don't have to worry about the night sweat demons. I'm lucky that I have AC now, but I also spent 20 years leaving in a house that didn't have it.
If you do not have any kind of AC or other cooling system, what you can do is going to vary a lot on the setup. Urban areas tend to be hotter than rural areas due to the heat island effect, a lot of older buildings either have no insulation or too much along with not being well designed for ventilation, and you might not have the funds to get a portable AC unit. However, three key things:
Do whatever you can to keep light and heat out of your space during the hottest part of the day. Easiest thing is to cover your windows. They are transparent and thinner than your walls. White/light colored drapes/fabrics will reflect light, a second set of drapes/fabric will provide additional insulation. Blinds can sometimes work depending on how thick they are. In a pinch cardboard will work too.
Cool the inside as much as you can at night. If you can, wait to open windows until the sun goes down. Close your windows before the mercury starts rising again.
Air circulation. Fans or anything you can do to get the air moving. If you live in a space where you can open windows on opposite sides, you may be able to get a cross breeze going.
If you can't cool your spaces, seek shelter
More and more places have started setting up cooling centers and stations, but if you're dwelling is too hot to hang out in during the day, look for community or third spaces where you can hang out that do have AC and that don't mind you being there for a while. Libraries, coffee shops, bookstores, museums, movie theaters, shopping malls, IKEA, whatever - get creative and find a place where you can stay cool.
Embrace the siesta
If you are able to, avoid high-intensity activities and being outside between 11am-7pm, the hottest part of the day. Do things early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are milder and when you won't get fully roasted by the sun. Chill out, rest, take a nap, don't over exert yourself.
If you have to be outside or do stuff during these times, do it at your own pace, take breaks, and a lot of the above tips will also help.
It's personal
This period of climate change we're experiencing is humankind's largest catastrophe of our own making. And I can blame it on something, which is the fossil fuel industrial complex. So, yeah, vote, harangue your local politicians, advocate for public transit and denser housing, preserve, conserve, and expand nature and open spaces, do whatever you can to hobble big oil.
P.S. I know this is fucking long post, but hopefully that was helpful. I know this all has similar points to just about every other article out there related to heatwaves. Everyone says stay hydrated and no one explains actual best practices for doing so, which if TL:DR - my first three points above the cut. Don't ask me why I suddenly felt compelled to write this long ass PSA, but I did.
UK and Ireland oomf, when i moved to southern france and its 39°c summer i was taught some heatwave wisdom.
DON'T OPEN YOUR WINDOW WHEN THE SUN IS UP.
You can open your window at night to create a fresh airflow and should close it an hour after sunrise.
DRAW ALL YOUR BLINDS.
The sun hitting your window will heat up your space, anything that can cover the outside of your windows should be deployed.
The outside heat will always be worse than what you got going on in your domicile during the day. Be on lockdown during the day and check after sundown on an app what is the temperature in your area.
