This year, Las Vegas broke its all-time temperature record when temperatures hit 120 degrees.
I know how that feels. In Uttar Pradesh, India, where I grew up, temperatures easily soar to 120 degrees in May and June. But few people have access to air conditioning. With an average per capita income of about $1,000 a year, many people in this area can’t afford to buy an air conditioner or pay the electricity bills to use one.
So how do people keep cool?
That is the question people are asking as the world faces Unprecedented temperatures in 2024from the southwestern United States to Mexico, India and China.
People in India and other countries across the Southern Hemisphere have long found ways to cope with the intense heat. I want to share a few tips I learned from elders back home in India. Some of the advice is just what you would think — drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun. Other strategies may surprise you.
I know each of these tips may seem trivial when applied individually. But as a heat wave researcher, I can tell you that when done together, they can really help cool down your body. The important thing is to be aware of the power of heat —- and be prepared.https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/02/1114354904/opinion-life-hacks-from-india-on-how-to-stay-cool-without-an-air-conditioner#_msocom_1to prevent its negative effects.
And remember, if you notice any signs of heatstroke—like fever, headache, nausea, confusion, or weakness—call an ambulance immediately and seek medical help. Apply ice while you wait to get treated at a hospital. Seriously, don’t wait. Heatstroke can be fatal.
(Also: We want to hear from you! Scroll down to the bottom of this story to learn how to share tips from your culture on how to cope with hot weather.)
Drink plenty of fluids — it doesn’t have to be water!
One of the lessons that was drilled into me as a child was to always be aware of your hydration status. And to drink water even if it is just small sips as soon as you do any physical activity. Carrying a water bottle with you when you go out is not only common sense, it is also a lifesaver.
Some popular drinks in India can help replenish electrolytes lost through sweat as well as keep your body hydrated.
We quench our thirst with fruit drinks like sugarcane juice, coconut water, sour and fresh mango juice called Yes Yes. Made from boiled and pureed sour green mango, aam ka pana replenish electrolytes lost through sweat. Pre-mixes are available from online suppliers and at ethnic grocery stores. Just add cold water and enjoy!
In India, we also love cooling, milk-based drinks like lassia popular summer yogurt drink, and buttermilk.
And eat something!
Another lesson is to never go out on an empty stomach — always eat something. A cucumber (which contains dissolved electrolytes) or a pineapple snack will do the trick. In India, we’ll sprinkle black salt on cucumbers, adding to their restorative powers.
The Power of Showers
If you feel hot, take a cold shower or at least splash water on your face, hands and head every now and then – this will help lower your body temperature!
You can also play with water. When I was a kid in India, I played water balloon games with the neighborhood kids. Or we would fill the tub with water and splash it on each other in the backyard.
Find a cool place to relax.
Find the coolest spots in your building and make that your sleeping or hanging out spot. Since temperatures rise, the lower floors of a multi-story house will be cooler. Keep your porch shaded and airy. During the day, block out the sun with heavy curtains. Turn on any fans you have. And don’t be afraid to move your furniture around to find some coolness. Back in Uttar Pradesh, we used to move our beds closer to the windows so we could catch the breeze while we slept.
If it gets too stuffy indoors, go outside and lie on a hammock. The air created by the swinging helps cool the body. As a child, I remember the mango orchard being the best place to hang out. The dense foliage provided maximum shade. Shade is your friend!
Inspired by architecture
Among the many architectural innovations was a building design known as thejaali (which simply means mesh in Hindi and Urdu). Think of the Taj Mahal. It’s essentially a way of turning a stone wall into a mesh screen by carving geometric patterns with a series of small holes instead of a solid wall. This stone screen blocks direct sunlight and also causes air to accelerate as it passes through the holes.
Now there is literally no way you can rebuild your house in the style of the Taj Mahal.
But you can take inspiration from another architectural trick. Some buildings have a small body of water on the outside — likeHawa Mahal (Wind Palace) in Jaipur. Wind enters the palace through jaali The holes in the thousand windows absorb moisture from the water in the courtyard. The moist wind then moves towards the thousand windows of the palace and cools the air inside.
ONE good tips To bring in cool, moist air, hang a woven grass curtain over the door. Spray water on it and it will convert the hot air into a cool breeze. A special fragrant grass called “khus” is used for this purpose in India. I have also seen curtains made of fine bamboo – which provides protection from direct sunlight – with a piece of fine wet cloth added inside to cool it. Or a thick damp cloth curtain will do.
Swamp cooling effect
Ubiquity swamp swamp works best in low humidity mode. Also known as an evaporative cooler, this electric device directs room air through water-permeable pads, cools the air, and then blows that air back into the room. These devices are cheaper than air conditioners and use less energy. You can even make one yourself.
Wear loose, light-colored clothing.
everybody
use small mirrors on their clothes
In addition to using cotton and linen for their clothing—both materials are cool because they have large pores in their weave that allow air to circulate—their choice of colors for their clothing was ingenious. They cleverly took advantage of the fact that black not only absorbs heat faster than white, but also radiates heat much faster than white. Due to the nature of their work, women often go in and out of tents while men tend cattle outside for longer periods of time. Therefore, to stay cool, women should wear darker colors (which cool down quickly once women go indoors) and men should wear lighter colors (which heat up more slowly than dark colors during extended periods of time outdoors).
Cover your head or neck
In summer, covering the head is an old custom. Whether it is the nobles who wear pagdee (a turban) or people often use a wet rectangular piece of traditional cotton cloth called agame for men andShawls for women. A variation of the white wet wipes. It is almost universal in the countryside and is even seen in the city.
Or take a light towel, called game In Hindi, wet it and wear it around the neck or on the head like a scarf. This wet suit is ubiquitous among men in remote areas and small towns.
Even our former British colonial masters fought the sun withpith helmet —- made from milky white, dry, extremely light spongy plant material that can be pressed into various shapes.
Avoid midday sun
During the hottest times of the day, try not to burn off energy or exhaust yourself by going outside, exercising, or standing outside, as the scorching sun and hot air will only make you hotter. Instead, do what I did in Uttar Pradesh: relax at home or take a nap. If you have to work and have a flexible schedule, try to do your work during the cooler hours of the day. For example, farmers in my state work early in the morning and late at night. And the market closes in the hot afternoon but stays open late at night.
Embrace the shade
Whether you are working outdoors or walking down the street, stay in the shade provided by trees. The actual air temperature is the same as the temperature under the sun, but your skin will not absorb the sun’s rays and heat up your body. Thank your ancestors for planting trees for us! And we repay them by planting trees now even though we know we will not enjoy that shade in our lifetime. Our children will. And that is what makes our civilization!
Your Turn: Share Your Tips for Coping with the Heat
Did you grow up without air conditioning in a hot country? How did you cope with the heat? Email us at [email protected] with the subject line “Heat hacks” and we may feature your story on NPR.org. Please include your name and location. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, July 17.
Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar is a Seattle-based Aspen New Voices fellow who studies the health impacts of temperature. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, a policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, and an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Public Health.
