How to Beat the Heat

Heat is one of the deadliest natural hazards, killing thousands of people every year, according to WMO experts, who continue to record historically high temperatures on the planet. After the warmest June on record, July continued to break temperature records.

During this extreme summer, intense heat has gripped much of the Northern Hemisphere. The US state of Texas has been experiencing extremely high temperatures for more than two weeks, hitting almost +50℃ in some places. Thermometers in France and Italy have risen to the highest level ever recorded: 40.6 and 40.7 ℃.

Source: infographic by Leonid Lukashenko

More than ten temperature records have been hit in recent weeks, and it is possible that they will be surpassed in the nearest future. After all, the heat wave keeps on coming.

"Extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent in a warming climate, have significant impacts on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies. This underscores the growing urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible," said WMO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas.

Cardarelli Hospital, in Naples, southern Italy, reported that 231 patients had sought emergency care in the last 24 hours. On average, this is one patient for every six minutes, the highest daily number of patients since the coronavirus pandemic (2020).

International agencies and national governments are stepping up efforts to help people adapt to the extreme heat that seems to become the new reality for the world's inhabitants. Forecasts, warnings and recommendations are being developed to protect human lives and critical assets for human survival.

How to prepare for an "extreme disaster" caused by heat:

• Learn the signs that indicate heat stroke;
• Do not rely on a fan to help. It will create airflow and a false sense of comfort, but it will not lower your body temperature;
• Find public places near your home and work where you can go to cool off. Libraries, shopping centers, food establishments are suitable, ask your local health department if there are so-called "cooling centers" in your area;
• Cover windows with thick curtains or blinds;
• Use reflective window screens;
• Install air conditioners and insulate them.

When the heat is at its peak 

• Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day.
• If your home does not have air conditioning, go to a public place where you can cool off or go to a "cooling center".
• Try to avoid staying outside unless you have to.
• Take a cool shower or bath.
• Wear loose, thin, light clothing.
• Use the oven less to lower the temperature at home.
• If you are outside, find shade. Wear a hat that is wide enough to protect your face.
• Drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated.
• Avoid high-energy activities or working outdoors during the midday heat if possible.
• Stay in touch with family members, the elderly, and neighbors to check on them.
• Think about the safety of pets. If they are outside, make sure they have plenty of cool water and access to comfortable shade. Asphalt and dark sidewalks can be very hot for your pet's feet.

Carefully monitor your condition, and seek medical attention if you have signs of heat stroke:

• Extremely high body temperature;
• Red, hot and dry skin without sweat;
• Fast, strong pulse;
• Dizziness, confusion or loss of consciousness.

If you suspect heat stroke, call an emergency room or get the person to a hospital immediately. Cool the person by any means necessary until medical help arrives. Do not give the person anything to drink.

Signs of heat cramps: spasms, muscle pain or cramps in the abdomen, arms or legs.

Signs of heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, pallor, muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, fast or weak pulse, dizziness, headache, fainting, nausea, vomiting.

If you show signs of heat cramps or heat exhaustion, get to a cool place: remove excess clothing and drink water or a sports drink in small sips. If symptoms worsen or last more than an hour, call your doctor.

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Records-breaking numbers on thermometers prove once again how threatening global warming is. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity are increasingly heating up the planet. It seems that today we are witnessing a global climate crisis, which is manifested in increasingly high temperatures and frequent extreme weather events.

However, this time, unlike previous heat waves, the main climate change has been accompanied by another phenomenon: extreme warming of the North Atlantic that is extremely confusing for the experts. "We've entered unknown territory due to exceptionally warm conditions in the North Atlantic Ocean," says an article published in the Copernicus journal.

A growing number of experts use the expression "uncharted territory" when talking about what is happening on the planet in the context of the climate crisis. But what does it mean? "None of us - none of us alive - have ever lived in the climate we have now," the researchers say. "Often people talk about climate change as something that will happen in a few years, in a few decades... but no, it's happening now. The climate is completely different from the one our parents and grandparents experienced, or from the one we have experienced so far."

The heat wave is expected to continue in the coming days in the central and eastern countries of the Mediterranean basin. The national meteorological and hydrological services of France, Italy, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia have issued orange and red heat warnings for July 20 and 21. The weekly forecast suggests that next week the air temperature will beat the norm by 3°C, mainly in the eastern part of the Mediterranean and northern Africa.