There are two types of people: the ones who welcome the news of a 10-day heatwave, culminating in temperatures of up to 37C, and then there’s normal people.
Whichever camp you fall into though, there’s no denying that sunshine is great, but the intense temperatures can be something of an issue.
Whether you’re prone to getting burnt, losing out on sleep or just… too hot, here are the answers to your burning questions.
What is a heatwave?
First things first: what exactly is a heatwave?
The World Meteorological Organisation defines a heatwave as, ‘when the daily maximum temperature of more than five consecutive days exceeds the average maximum temperature by 5 °C, the normal period being 1961-1990.’
So, roughly defined, a heatwave occurs when it’s hotter than usual by five degrees or more, which means we’re definitely in the middle of one.
How to keep cool
There are a million ways to keep cool but as well as drinking lots of water you can try these ways to keep cool as the temperature heats up.
Do: Drink lots of water
This one doesn’t need much explanation really.
Do: Think about the coldest place you can
Transport your mind to the coldest place you can imagine – simply day dreaming about things like snow can help lower your overall body temperature because your body will react to your thoughts about cooler temperatures.
Do: Run your wrists under a cold tap
Because one of your main veins passes through your wrist, a quick dip under the tap and can help cool down your blood quickly
Do: Eat spicy food
Yes, really. Spicy foods help you sweat, which will in turn cool you down.
Don’t: Use your hands as a fan
Fanning your face with your hands will momentarily cool you down, but the rapid movement from your hands will raise your temperature overall.
So, maybe invest in a fan.
How to keep your house cool
You don’t need a swanky air conditioning unit to keep cool (because let’s face it, you’d only get two weeks’ of use out of it anyway).
Here are some affordable ways you can keep your home cool:
Putting a bowl of ice in front of a fan
As the ice melts, the breeze from the fan will pick up the cool air coming from the ice’s surface, creating a cool effect, similar to an air conditioning unit.
Turning off your lights and electrical appliances
Light bulbs and electrical appliances radiate heat, so make sure you turn off any that aren’t being used.
Hanging a wet sheet
This technique is a simple one if you can’t stand the whirring of an electric fan. Simply drape a wet sheet over an open window – the moisture from the sheet will turn the breeze cool.
How to make sure your houseplants survive the heatwave
There are a few simple ways you can keep your plants safe during the warm weather.
Here’s the potted version:
Move your plants away from fans or air conditioning units
Putting plants in front of a fan will cool them down, but doing this can also dehydrate the air surrounding the shrubs, and plants don’t enjoy cold air on their leaves.
Instead, keep plans dry by ensuring your windows are shut during the day and opened only when the temperatures drop outside.
Don’t let plants sit in water
It goes without saying that plants should be watered, but make sure their roots aren’t floating in water, as this can lead to flies laying eggs in the soil.
To protect against this, add a few pebbles to the bottom of a plant pot.
How to keep babies cool
When it comes to keeping babies safe and cool in a heatwace, the NHS says that babies under 6 months old should be kept out of direct sunlight, and that babies older than 6 months should still be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly if it’s excessively hot and between the hours of 11am and 3pm, when the sun shines the strongest.
If you go out when it’s hot, you can keep your baby out of direct sunlight by attaching an umbrella, parasol or other type of sunshade to their pram.
You should also use a sunscreen of SPF of at least 30 on your baby, and check that the product protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
To keep babies cool (and to give them something fun to do) you might try getting the paddling pool out and putting it in the shade for you and them to play in.
Best technology to keep you cool
From personalised air conditioning to a cooling sports vest (which sadly is not very sartorially sound), we’ve rounded up the best gadgets for keeping cool during the hot weather.
These include:
- The JML Chillmax Air
- The TechNiche International Adult HyperKewl Cooling Sport Vest
- The Intsun Mini Handheld USB Misting Fan
And now it’s time for the questions:
How long does sunburn to take to heal?
The blistering sun isn’t always kind to British skin, so it goes without saying that a lot of people will be a red-faced this weekend.
Generally, the symptoms of sunburn will appear within a couple of hours of sun exposure, however, the full effects may take 24 hours to appear.
This changes, based on the degree of sunburn you have: a mild burn will be accompanied by redness, some pain, and sensitivity and can last from three to five days.
There may be some peeling in the final days as the skin repairs itself, shedding the dead skin.
Moderate sunburns will be more painful and take around one week to heal completely, with the skin peeling for a few days afterwards.
Severe sunburn can require medical attention. If you have it, your skin will blister and it could take up to two weeks before it heals.
Find out more about how long sunburn takes to heal and how to get rid of it.
Should you keep your windows open?
Should you keep your windows open during the hot weather and does it actually keep your house cool?
In short, yes you should, if the temperature is colder outside than it is inside, with the same guidance applying to drawing your curtains.
But if it’s warmer outside, then keep those shutters down.
Can hot weather cause diarrhoea?
While many find the heat uncomfortable, others have reported bouts of diarrhoea during hot temperatures.
So, can hot weather cause diarrhoea?
Quite simply, a prolonged spell of hot weather does increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) problems and the risk of infectious gastroenteritis (IG) outbreaks – both of which are likely to result in the victim suffering from diarrhoea.
Diarrhoea can also be a symptom of illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, so if you are experiencing other symptoms of that – such as headaches, dizziness, excessive sweating and cramps in the arms, legs and stomach, then seek medical help.
MORE: How to recognise heatstroke in pets and keep them safe
MORE: The best home remedies to help with sunburn
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/07/hot-weather-questions-answered-13093713/
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