For anyone living in Europe: the first heatwave of the season is forecast for tomorrow, and will likely stretch until Friday. Please stay safe.
Open your windows at night BUT close everything, including blinds and curtains, during the day
If you need it, buy a fan, a cold blanket or a cooler
Drink a lot
Also drink mostly water, without ice
If you can, avoid getting out in the sun between 11am and 6pm
If you need to go outside, wear sunscreen and a hat
Also loose clothes and natural, breathable fabrics
Think of your pets!
Make sure they have access to water and shade, bring them inside the house if possible, don’t leave them in a car alone
Check on your grandma and other elderly relatives!
Old people are at risk during hot weather, so remind them to drink and stay inside with their blinds closed
If you or people you know are experiencing the following symptoms
breathlessness
chest pain
confusion
intense thirst
weakness
dizziness
cramps that get worse or don’t go away
call an ambulance.
I’m really worried about these temperatures, I hope everyone stays safe!!
As someone from the southern US, a few pieces of additional advice:
Sweating is a sign that your body is doing what it’s supposed to in hot weather and trying to cool you off. If nothing about your environment has change, but you’ve stopped sweating, you’re dehydrated.
Water is great, but gatorade and powerade were specifically designed to replace important electrolytes you lose when sweating.
If the heat and humidity get to be too much for you and you have access to one, put your hair up and take a short, cool shower.
Sounds silly, but get a spray bottle and keep it in the fridge. If you’re going outside to do things like yardwork, take it with you and give yourself an occasional misting. Very refreshing!
What coffeebuddha has written is really awesome advice. Being that it gets up into the 100s here in DFW, Texas (that’s Fahrenheit, of course) I routinely make my house a cave and I mushroom for a great deal of the summer. I make sure my errands get done as early in the day as the stores will allow with their hours, and I actually walk in the early early morning when the sun isn’t up yet. I am very fair-skinned and sunburn easily, and am very susceptible to heat rash and other lovely heat-induced issues, so being a mushroom is very good for me.
Arizonans (and other US southwesterners) treat summer the same way northerners treat winter – the outside is trying to kill you. Dress appropriately. Carry or wear protection if you’re going outside (hats, umbrellas). Remember that wearing natural fibers will cool you off better than baring more skin. Have more water (or gatorade) around than you think you’ll need. Stay out of the sun as much as possible. Dont walk your dogs on hot pavement.
And remember to eat. The heat will make you think you dont need to. Do it anyway. Light foods, like fresh fruits or veggies, will help.
Something interesting I’ve learned – although I don’t know if this has a name in any other language, but in Korean this position is called “manner legs”. It refers to people stretching their legs to sink down to a smaller height so people working or filming with them could either work on their hair and makeup or appear to be their same height.
[Photograph of a man dressed as Captain America, from behind with his shield on his back, waving a rainbow-striped American flag]
I was at Portland Pride, and y’all don’t even understand this man’s power. This photo is from the back, so you don’t see the perfection of the outfit, the chiseled jaw, the truth of his incredible shoulders-to-waist ratio, the reflective aviators.
It’s a still image, so you don’t see the confidence with which he walks. He KNOWS he’s the shit. We were walking in opposite directions on the sidewalk as he was getting into position for the parade, and I short circuited. This man is FINE, and he knows it.
You DEFINITELY don’t know that one of the drag queens who was calling the parade, when he walked by, stopped mid-sentence and said, and this is a direct quote,
“Sir, that absolutely is America’s ass. I probably shouldn’t say that, but it’s true.” Every single person in the crowd who was even a little bit attracted to men whooped and clapped at that truth.
This man is my hero.
Turns out they use neutral pronouns—see: starcaptainyork on Instagram. Here are some of their pics from facebook (easiest to screencap), featuring the aviators, front-view, and confirming Cap-appropriate jaw line:
