With temperatures soaring into the 40°C range this weekend, here are some of the best ways to mitigate the seemingly inescapable heat.
Already there are some options available like the City of Vancouver implementing temporary drinking fountains and misting stations around the city. The heatwave hasn’t reached its peak yet though with some forecasts predicting some parts of the province will feel like 48°C up until Tuesday. The city has also provided some basic tips to stay safe like:
☀️ Keep hydrated
☀️ Take a cold shower or bath
☀️ Rest
☀️ Eat cold foods such as salads and fruits
There are also 10 cooling centres around the city you can duck into for a respite.
⚠ The hot weather warning has been upgraded to an extreme heat alert. We have extended our cooling centre hours in the DTES and opened wading pools at Grey’s and Woodland parks. Tips on how to stay safe https://t.co/wJrurk0G13 pic.twitter.com/u5IVCGLkZz
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) June 26, 2021
If you’re staying inside and still can’t get your place cooled down enough, here are some truly awesome heat hacks from Mental Floss.
Create your own wind tunnel
How? Well, do you have windows on opposite sides of your house or apartment? All you have to do is take a fan and face it inward in front of one window and place another facing outward in front of the opposing window. Voila—DIY wind tunnel!
Close those blinds
While it might be tempting to let some of the summer sunshine in, you’ll also be turning your place into a large oven. By some estimates, as much as 30 percent of unwanted heat comes in through windows, so it pays to keep them covered.
Cool down your pulse points
Pulse points are areas of your body where you can feel your pulse through your skin because blood vessels are positioned close to the surface. Applying ice or a cold cloth to these points can help cool you down from the inside out. Pulse points include the following areas:
- Neck
- Wrists
- Insides of elbows and knees
- Tops of your feet
- Insides of your ankles
- Inner thighs
- Just in front of your ears
DIY cooling curtains
This one’s pretty simple, all you need to do is get a sheet damp, then hang it over an open window. The hot air that passes through evaporates the water in the sheet, which creates a cooling air stream.
Keeping it minty fresh
The menthol in peppermint tricks us into feeling cool, which you can use to your advantage on warm days. Reader’s Digest suggests brewing some peppermint tea and popping it into the fridge; when it’s cool, you can put it in a bottle and spray yourself as temperatures soar.
