Australia might be more than 10 000km away but their heat wave now seems to have become our problem.
This after the South African Weather Service issued an alert for an increase in temperatures across Gauteng and other parts of the country as from today. The heat wave will continue tomorrow and possibly over the weekend.
Click here to view a diagram of the warnings
To prepare for what is to come, ER24 released information on what to do during a heat wave:
• Do not leave your children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles or confined areas.
• Ensure that you stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty.
• Try to eat small meals and eat more often.
• Try and postpone outdoor activities.
• If you work outdoors, ensure that you take care of yourself by moving out of the sun into the shade more often than usual, and stay hydrated.
• Do not take part in strenuous outdoor activities without a second person present to relief you or call for help should something happen.
• Ensure that you keep an eye out for elderly people who stay alone or are not able to move around easily, they might need assistance.
Numerous signs and symptoms may present itself during heat exhaustion. Some of them include:
• Dizzyness
• Vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Flushed skin
• Excessive sweating
How can you help?
• Remove the person from the area and call for assistance
• Try and cool down the person gradually with a wet cloth or alike
• Remove any tight multilayer clothing
• If the person is unconscious, turn them on their side
• If the person has no altered level of consciousness, give him/her small amounts of water to drink
• Call for assistance: ER24 084 124
