Exposure to extreme heat can cause illness and even death for some people. But there are several small steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones.
We need to keep our body temperature in the range of 35.5 to 37.5°C as this protects our vital organs and allows the body to function normally. Bodies gain heat from both the metabolic processes within and the environment, and heat is lost through the skin by radiation and by sweating.
How you experience heat can be improved by adaptive behaviour, such as staying in the shade, indoors in air-conditioned places and using fans to circulate the air.
Heat-related illnesses occur when heat gain is greater than heat loss; when heat gain from the environment or metabolic processes cannot be effectively dissipated through physiological or behavioural thermo-regulatory processes. These illness range in impact from mild, such as heat cramps to severe or life-threatening, such as heat stroke.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency, leading to rapid death in 10% to 50% of cases and poor outcomes in a high proportion of survivors, according to the World Health Organisation.
Those at greatest risk of heat-related illnesses are people aged 65 years and older, babies and young children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. People who have difficulty communicating, moving around or are bedridden are also at high risk (because they rely on others for drinks and showers), as are older people living alone.
Top Comments
I've always hated hot weather - even as a child.
We had an old beach shack and were there most weekends but even as a kid I stayed out of the sun & heat during the hottest times of the day.
I don't have skin cancers so I guess I unwittingly helped my fair skin too.
I have a health condition which raises my body temperature constantly so 30degs to you feels like 35degs to me.
I find heat plus humidity to be really uncomfortable and actually offensive - it offends my sensibility, my sense of aesthetics because I feel so rotten when I'm hot and I know I look bad in an exhausted, wiped-out way.......I equate some art & beauty to a cool environment where no-one sweats and everyone looks artistic & comfortable in clothing that expresses their bohemian personalities.
It's no mystery to me that when most people fantasise about a holiday destination it's to some place hot with cool blue water and extra sleep - because THAT'S all hot weather is good for.
I fantasise about quaint villages, snow, fireplaces (because I can CHOOSE what temp I want to be) and beautiful countryside rambles in scarfs & big long coats with hoods - 5degs sounds perfect to me.
But we live in a "sunburnt country" with it's searing temperatures during summer and horrible destructive bush fires and/or flooding.
Australia is an incredible country and I doubt I'd ever live anywhere else despite my gripes about the heat.
Please remember to protect your pets at this time - have extra water bowls and also feed them wet food regularly........make sure they have shade to retreat to ......I can't believe the number of people who keep their dogs chained up outside in this heat or forget to supply an extra heavy water bowl in case they knock one over...........cats need to be inside most of the time (particularly at night) in the coolest part of the house, in fact, however you treat your children - that's how you treat your pets in this weather since they're so vulnerable.
Mind you, yesterday we were at a 6 year old's birthday where the kids were dressed in "Super Hero" outfits and ran around like demons in 37deg heat - us "old farts" felt ill just watching them....lol.
Heat's obviously an acquired taste........
Oh come on, really? THIS IS AUSTRALIA PEOPLE! We know all of this already! It's summer, I personally LOVE heatwaves - what are you doing in this country if you hate summer?
And if you're not drinking enough water, you're a dumby.