Sunday, January 10, 2010

How to keep your cool on a hot day

from w
It's 44 degrees celsius here in Geelong today, much hotter than it ever is in Fiji, though the humidity is lower. It is just too hot to go swimming at the beach.

How to get cool on a really hot day – such as 44 degrees Celsius.

Wear only bathers or a wrap-around sulu.

Just add water. Put your feet in a basin of cool water. Have a cold shower in your bathers every four hours. Wet a bandana, towel or scarf with cool icy water and tie it around your neck or head or elsewhere.

Wear light colours and loose clothing if you have to go out. Darker colours will absorb the sun's rays and be warmer than light or white clothing, which reflects light and heat. Wear natural summer clothing.

Keep the air flowing. A house without air-conditioning needs a bit of help. Turn on an electric fan or portable water cooler if you have them.

Close curtains and doors, even put a blanket over large double doors during the day and open up as the sun moves to the other side of the house.

Turn off electrical heat sources. Turn off the stove or other sources of heat. Don't use the stove or oven - just eat cold food, or use the microwave.

Eat out or chill out. Find a cool venue and eat out, such as Hungry Jacks in Newcomb which has fabulous air-conditioning. Otherwise go to the local library or mall and chill out with a sketch-book or library book.

Use a hint of mint or herbs in your tea. Or make iced coffee.

Eat spicy food to make you sweat. This increases perspiration which cools the body as it evaporates. It also can cause an endorphin rush that is quite pleasant and might make you forget about the heat.

Put a freeze on things. Get a one or more bottles, fill them mostly full of water, freeze them and use during the day as the ice melts.

Think cool. Watch "March of the Penguins", "Ice Age", or "The Day After Tomorrow". Or email your cousins in France or northern hemisphere where it is icy.

Sit Still. Do not try to fan yourself because it can make you hotter.

Cool as a cucumber! Slice pieces of cold cucumber and stick it in the middle of your forehead or on your eyes.

Any other suggestions?
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And, the next day:
During the night it never got below 32 degrees celsius which is the highest on record. The closest was 30 in 1902. Extremes in weather seems to be part of climate change it seems. Hopefully by this afternoon there will be a cool change.

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