Heat wave in September: tips to avoid suffocation

There heat is back ! “We expect unprecedented temperatures for the month of September over a broad southwest quarter. No real refresh is not foreseen before at least next Sunday” explain Meteo France September 4. Tuesday, the intensity of high heat will drop a notch in the Centre-West, but on the contrary it will warmer in a number of regions, including the Paris Basin, the Grand-Est region, Burgundy Franche-Comté.

For better withstand this crushing heat:

• Wear loose, light, bright clothes, prefer cotton, which allows air to pass through and absorbs perspiration.
• Drink regularly without waiting to be thirsty, mainly water, squeezed fruit if necessary.
• Never alcohol. Avoid sodas and other sugary drinks. Avoid drinks high in caffeine (diuretics)
• Use a fan and fogger : first mist the exposed parts then ventilate the wet parts with the manual fan. To repeat as many times as you want, as soon as you are dry.
• During the hottest hours, rest in a cool place.
• Take cool but not cold showers because the body would otherwise produce energy and heat to warm it up. Cold showers should also be avoided as they can cause thermal shock.
• Cool off and get your body wet (at least face and forearms) several times a day
• Prefer raw fruits and vegetables and cold dishes for meals (salad, gazpacho…).
• If cooking is necessary, avoid cooking in the oven so as not to be exposed to heat.
• Limit physical activity as much as possible
• Avoid any effort: gardening, DIY…
• If an activity is mandatory: never in the sun.
• Wet your T-shirt and cap before putting them on, let them dry on the skin and repeat the process.
• Wait for the evening for a walk “in the cool”.

• Elderly people are particularly vulnerable in hot weather. They must :
• Spend several hours a day in a cool or air-conditioned place
• Regularly wet the body to lower their body temperature (wet cloth, wet glove on the face, arms, neck, mist on the face, etc.)
• Drink enough (about 1.5 liters of water, i.e. the amount of water they are able to eliminate) without waiting to feel thirsty
• Eat enough (if necessary by dividing the meals), to provide the mineral salts necessary for the body.

Heat quickly exposes infants and young children to dehydration which can be severe. During a heat wave:

• Keep children in a cool and discover them.
• Born never leave children alone in an overheated place, a poorly ventilated room or a car, even for a few seconds.
• Offer to drink regularly and plan to carry sufficient quantities of water when travelling.

Barricade your house to protect it from the sun’s rays

• Lower the blinds and close the shutters exposed to the sun.
• Close the windows and blinds during the day on the sunny side. They can be left open on the shaded side if this allows drafts. If so, hang a damp towel to cool the room. If drafts are not possible, leave everything closed.
• Open the windows in the evening when the sun has set and the outside temperature has dropped significantly.
• Leave windows open at night if possible to create drafts.
• If the house cannot be cooled: plan to spend several hours a day, every day, in a cool place, close to your home and identified in advance (shop, air-conditioned cinema, etc.).