Sunny days will come soon. People will be able to go to the beach and the countryside. At such moments, it’s crucial to remember that many suffer from heat and strong ultraviolet radiation.

The sun is most active at noon — however, not at 12 pm but around 1 pm. The air temperature reaches its maximum only with a delay of several hours. This is due to the fact that streets, roofs and houses heat up during the day and then emit a lot of heat.

In cities, the highest temperatures occur between 4 pm and 6 pm. Nevertheless, the end of the day is the most important time to protect yourself from the heat.

If you take a cold shower in the heat, go to an outdoor pool or swim in the lake and have a drink with ice, your body temperature will drop first. This will help but the effect will be short-lived. Blood vessels contract when your body is cold to prevent heat loss. Cool water stimulates blood circulation. Then, the body adapts to the outside temperature again and releases even more sweat than before.

That’s why North Africans prefer to drink hot mint tea. An additional heat signal ensures that your body will sweat, which will lead to a pleasant coolness.

After a hot day, many find it especially difficult to fall asleep and come to life. Therefore, it’s necessary to darken the bedroom during the day to prevent the penetration of heat into the room. You can store blankets, sheets and pillows in the freezer or any other cool place.

The temperature drops the most in the early morning hours. This is the best time to ventilate a house or apartment. But even during the day, you can open the windows and arrange a draft. However, avoid overdoing it with a draft — otherwise, there will be a risk of getting sick. This can also happen if the air conditioning systems are set to a too-low temperature.

The hotter it gets, the less you should exercise outdoors. Elevated ozone levels caused by heat can affect your lungs. Use your lunch break to go to a cool place, eat light food and drink water.

You should drink one and a half liters per day — in the heat and during physical exertion. To compensate for the loss of water during endurance sports, experts recommend drinking about one liter of liquid per hour of training. Mineral water, fruit juices or isotonic drinks are most useful because they compensate the body for the minerals spent.

Because of the heat, many are now stocking up on fans. They move the air and create a draft. It feels cooler for you — but in fact, the temperature in the room fails to fall due to artificially created wind. Sweat on the skin quickly evaporates in a draft, which in the worst case can lead to dehydration of the body. Therefore, fans should be used with caution.

Be especially careful with infants and young children. Parents should make sure that their kids are in the shade, wear hats, apply sunscreen and drink a lot of fluids. Elderly people usually drink little, which is especially dangerous during the heat. If you’re taking medications, you should consult with your family doctor to find out if you need to change their dose in extreme heat.