What to do during a heat wave, and how dangerous is extreme heat?
What should you do during a heat wave, and how dangerous is extreme heat?
What is the best thing to do when traveling abroad in the heat?
- Drink plenty: A basic rule for traveling through warm regions, including the tropics, is that drinking plenty of fluids can prevent many problems. In warm regions, you lose fluids much faster. Sometimes you don't even realize how much you're sweating.
- Plan your activities well: it's usually warmest between 12:00 and 4:00 PM, and the sun is at its brightest. If you plan to do strenuous activities, keep this in mind. For example, exercise in the morning or evening.
- Avoid the sun as much as possible: Be extremely careful of sunstroke and always bring something to put on your head in case you have to walk in the sun for a while or, for example, go on a boat trip and sit on the deck. Wear a hat or cap and preferably protect your skin with an umbrella or sunshade.
- Seek shade and coolness: find a shady tree, go into an air-conditioned building, make sure your car has air conditioning if you're traveling by car, and find the coolest room in your house or accommodation.
- Relocating: During a heatwave, a city is often warmer than the countryside. If your travel schedule allows, you can also "escape" to the next region, province, or country until the temperature returns to your liking.
What are the dangers of extreme heat and dehydration while traveling and backpacking?
- When your body can no longer maintain its temperature at 37 degrees Celsius through sweating, you'll experience a fever. This can occur simply because of the high temperature, because you're more active than the temperature allows, or because you haven't drunk enough.
- Feeling thirsty is actually a sign of dehydration. Dark yellow urine, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue can also be signs of dehydration.
- More serious symptoms include loss of consciousness, cold or clammy limbs, confusion, rapid, irregular breathing or heartbeat, and eventually even coma.
What other hazards can arise during extreme heat or drought?
- Water shortages: If the heat persists long enough, drinking water supplies may be jeopardized. Visitors should also handle water carefully and avoid wasting it. Show understanding for the dry pool and the parched lawn.
- Forest and wildfires: In a dry landscape, fires can spread quickly; be alert and avoid inadvertently starting them yourself.
- Flooding: When rain finally falls after a severe drought, it often comes in heavy downpours. The ground can't absorb the water properly due to the drought, which can lead to flooding, mudslides, and landslides.
