…. Read on how to be sun smart
BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE – This week will be sunny and hot, becoming cold with rain.
According to Eswatini Meteorological Service, today it will be sunny and hot mainly in the Lowveld, becoming partly cloudy with rain at places. Moderate to strong winds are expected mainly over the eastern parts.
Tomorrow, there will be morning fog with drizzle at places, otherwise cloudy intervals will be experienced. It will be mild and cold in the Highveld. Moderate to strong winds are expected, mainly over the eastern parts.
On Wednesday, there will be morning fog with drizzle at places, clearing to partly cloudy and mild but cold in the Highveld.
This means the whole week will be practically hot, you ought to drink your water and mind your business.
Heatwaves are happening around the world. And climate change means they’re getting hotter and longer. Here’s how to stay cool in the heat.
While basking in the sunshine is a wonderful thing, extreme heat can be deadly, affecting younger and older people, pregnant women, and those with chronic health conditions.
But there’s a lot we can do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the heat.
Be sun smart
It’s best to avoid going out during the hottest hours of the day, but sometimes that can’t be avoided. When out in direct sunlight remember:
Wear (and regularly reapply) sunscreen.
Cover your head with a hat.
Take regular breaks indoors or in a shady area to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing will also help you to stay cool.
Wetter is better
Heat escapes through the skin, which is the largest organ in the body. So, the more skin you can cool down, the better.
There are various methods for how to cool your skin down in baking hot weather:
Drenching a t-shirt and keeping it wet can be very effective.
Buy cooling spray.
Having a cool shower – not freezing as you should cool down slowly.
You can quickly cool yourself down by putting your hands and feet in cold water. Wrists and ankles have lots of pulse points where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you will cool down more quickly.
With schools opening tomorrow it is important not to disrupt your routine too much because of hot weather, but sometimes you may have to.
An early morning run may feel punishing when you are nice and sleepy in bed, but it could be dangerous to exercise in the blazing midday sun and risk dehydration, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
Take the temperature into consideration when planning your day and, if you can, limit physical activity to when it’s cooler. If you do decide to workout or play sports , make sure to drink lots of water and take more breaks than usual to make sure you’re not putting any extra stress on your body.
You should also make sure you take a cold shower after exercising to cool down and follow our other advice for staying cool throughout the day.
