Beat the heat: 10 tips to surviving a heatwave without air conditioning

Here’s how to stay cool during a heatwave without air conditioning, and what to do if you think someone has heatstroke

These are the top 10 tricks to stay cool this summer…

1. Open and close the blinds: In the morning, when the day starts to heat up, go around the house and shut the doors, windows, blinds and curtains to keep the indoors cool for as long as possible. When evening falls and it’s no longer at the hottest part of the day, open all the windows and get as much air circulating as possible.
2. Make circulated air throughout your home work for you: Opening doors and windows in the house and using box fans and ceiling fans to push out hot air can help to draw cooler air into the house in the evening.
3. Use the natural cooling power of water: It sounds like an odd one, but try filling up buckets or basins to soak your feet. Putting damp towels, flannels or bandannas over your head and shoulders can have a cooling effect, too. Try taking a cool shower to lower your body temperature, and consider using a spray bottle filled with cold water for refreshing spritzes throughout the day.
4. Head downstairs: Because hot air rises, the upper stories of a home will be warmer than the ground floor. A basement can be a cool refuge from the midday heat.
5. Don’t generate more heat: Lightbulbs, computers that are left running and other appliances all generate unnecessary heat, so be sure to turn them off. Instead of cooking on the stove or using the oven, try eating fresh foods like salad instead.
6. Make your body work for you: Talking of eating, try not to eat large, protein-rich meals such as lots of red meat, because these increase metabolic heat and warm the body. Go for light meals based on fresh fruit and vegetables, instead.
7. Drink water: At the same time, be sure to maintain an adequate level of hydration by consuming more water than you usually do when it’s hot. If you’re sweating profusely, you will also need to replace electrolytes by eating a small amount of food with your water or by drinking specially-formulated electrolyte replacement drinks. Thirst is the first sign of dehydration, so be sure to drink sufficient amounts of fluids before you begin to feel thirsty in order to prevent dehydration.
8. Don’t drink coffee: Avoid drinking too much caffeine and keep the number of alcoholic beverages to a minimum, as both of these substances can act as diuretics and promote dehydration.
9. Use someone else’s air conditioning: A good way to save is to go out during the hottest hours of the day and visit a public building that has air conditioning, such as a library, shopping centre or cinema.
10. Keep your pets cool, too: Finally, remember that pets also suffer when the temperature rises. You can help dogs, rabbits and cats by giving them a cool bath or shower to keep their body temperature down. Lay a cool towel on a tile floor for them to lie down on, or place a cool towel or washcloth over them. Make sure they have plenty of water to drink as well. Look out for any of these signs of heat stroke and inform your vet immediately if you think your pet may be overheating:

• Rapid panting
• Wide eyes
• Excessive drooling
• Hot skin
• Twitching muscles
• Vomiting
• A dazed look