A Guide to Surviving the Heatwave this Summer2 min read

So yesterday was the hottest day of the year in the Capital, breaking last year’s record as it peaked to 37° at around 4pm.

Though many have enjoyed the warm summers in the last couple of years, there is also widespread concern whenever a heatwave hits the country, with some struggling to cope with the weather.

Euston went on lockdown as the heat caused massive overcrowding in the station. People on Twitter were referring to it as an Apocalypse as the conditions resembled that of a Zombie movie (minus any flesh eating).

Many succumbed to the extreme conditions as the inside of trains were even hotter. A Virgin train that was stranded with no air conditioning caused passengers to faint in 40° carriages.

In order to avoid getting stuck in the microwave that the British Summer is slowly starting to become, here’s a small guide to surviving the heatwave with a little help from the World Health Organization.

One of the most important things you need to do during scorching conditions is to keep out of the heat. I understand that you want to enjoy the sun, but there will be nothing left to enjoy if you collapse in the middle of a road.

It is advised that you should stay indoors during the hottest time of the day, whether it be at home or work. Move to the coolest room in your environment.

Contrary to popular belief, opening windows and doors during hot weather doesn’t actually cool your house down. In fact, your just allowing hot air to blow in, especially if your windows are in direct sunlight.

The only time you should open your windows is during the night and early hours of the morning, that’s when cool air is blowing.

In the day, make sure your conserve electricity and drape your windows. Use fans and air conditioning when necessary to save power and avoid the chance of a community-wide outage.

Another important thing to do during heatwave conditions is to keep yourself cool and hydrated. This can be achieved by wearing loose-fit clothes with breathable natural materials as well as taking cool showers/baths.

In hot weather, it’s tempting to go down to the pub for a pint or order something cool from Starbucks but you should avoid doing this. Alcohol, highly caffeinated and sugary drinks raise your blood pressure and in turn, your body temperature.

It is advised that you should drink regularly, sticking to water on the safe side. In addition, you should be eating small meals and avoiding protein heavy (meat) dishes. Proteins take longer to digest and may cause discomfort in the heat.

If you follow these simple steps, then you’re ready help others out in the event of a heatwave.

Stay safe and stay cool!

Photo by Luca Micheli on Unsplash