European heatwave: survival tips from Asia

Climate change is happening right in front of our eyes, and Europe is now facing historic high temperatures across many cities. Having 44°C in France was unthinkable, yet it is happening. Germany has seen temperatures above 41°C for the first time. These are not isolated cities - around 150 million people in Europe are facing temperatures above 35°C.

For us living in the southern world, temperatures above 40°C are routine. In many cities they can go above 50°C, and with humidity, much larger populations face "feels?like" temperatures close to 50°C. But these very same temperatures can be deadly for populations who, for a very long time, have focused on surviving the cold. Their main objective has always been how to stay warm in winter. Now, unexpectedly, long heatwaves are not only disrupting daily life but killing people. Current estimates suggest close to 500 people have died due to heat?related causes, including drowning incidents.

Newspapers and media are advising the public on how to cope with high temperatures. However, as most writers and experts are European?based, their advice feels academic and only scratching the surface. On the contrary, people like us do this every summer, which is becoming longer and hotter each year. So today, I am offering my survival tips for the European population facing the current extreme heat wave.

Start by staying home in daytime if you have no business outside. Avoid the hottest hours, usually 11am to 4pm, though this varies with sunrise and sunset. If you must go out, wear light?coloured, loose clothing. There is a tendency to wear shorts in Western summers, but I advise wearing full but loose pants and shirts. This protects your skin and reflects most light. Always wear a hat with a long brim to protect your neck and face. Sunglasses are essential.

Make homemade lemonade with sugar, lemon and a little salt if you are sweating a lot (unless hypertensive or diabetic). Commercial drinks have too much sugar and unnecessary ingredients. Another common drink in our part of the world is one part organic yogurt mixed with at least ten parts water and a little salt - a very diluted lassi. This is a favourite lunch drink because it has few calories and lets you drink a lot of water. Avoid sodas altogether and even juices unless watered down.

In hot summer days, spicy food was avoided and dishes made with yogurt were preferred. As a young man, I often ate fresh chutni rolled in roti with lassi instead of curries. Even honeydew melons are still eaten with bread instead of heavy meals.

Homes without air conditioning are challenging, especially with small windows. But air conditioning is a recent addition to our lifestyle. Growing up, very few people had it. Sleeping was always on the roof or outside. That may not be possible in many European cities, but where possible, it should be tried. Use bed nets and mosquito repellents. In the evenings, terraces were washed to cool the bricks, and families sat there with an electric fan to get relief from the day's heat.

Excessive heat can cause heat stroke, a life?threatening condition. You may feel confused, with high body temperature and dry skin (or excessive sweating if exercising), rapid pulse, shallow breathing, nausea, vomiting or severe headache. If you or someone else experiences these symptoms, move to shade or a cool/air?conditioned space, remove excessive clothing, and bring body temperature down with cold sponges, towels or ice packs.

Hot weather forced us to change our clothing, living style and food to survive. Europe now needs to learn basic but centuries?old coping mechanisms from the south. We in the south also need to radically improve our heat?managing techniques as our average temperatures are rising and some areas may become extremely dangerous for human life.

Bring the trees back into these mega cities of concrete jungles. Increase real forests and move towards green energy. This is not about leftist or rightist agendas. This is about our survival.