If you've been following the news, you'd have probably heard of the heatwave in Japan which sent temperatures soaring to 41.1 degrees - the highest the country has seen since 1896. And to make matters worse, at least 80 people have died and hundreds of others have been rushed to emergency rooms ?
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The two-week heatwave has even been declared a natural disaster by authorities. So, if you're in Japan right now or planning to visit anytime soon, here are 4 essential tips you must know to help you survive the heat!
1. Look out for warning signs
While most of us are used to the tropical weather back home, our bodies might not react well to such extreme heat so it's important not to take things for granted. Some of the symptoms you should look out for to avoid heat exhaustion are headaches, loss of appetite, nausea, fast breathing and intense thirst.
Make sure you monitor if your body temperature goes over 40 degrees as you might be in danger of getting heat stroke. If you're not sweating and have breathing difficulties, you should start seeking medical help. Do be extra careful especially if you're travelling with children or old people as they are more vulnerable to the heat.
2. Eat and drink right
This might seem like a no-brainer but the one thing you should always do is to HYDRATE. A lot of people get this wrong and they wait till they are thirsty before they start gulping down on water. But that shouldn't be the case - you should be drinking regularly to ensure that you're not dehydrated as we tend to sweat more in hot weather. If you're not sure how to check if you're dehydrated, your urine colour will give you a good gauge!
As we're always out and about on a trip, most of us turn to coffee to help us stay awake and replenish our energy. But that's actually not a good thing - too much caffeine can make you more dehydrated. If you really need to, drink it in moderation. It's also good to eat more fruits and vegetables with high water content such as strawberries, melons and cucumbers.
3. Know your limits
We feel you, every time you go on a holiday, it feels like you want to squeeze everything in your itinerary or else you'd FOMO (fear of missing out). But hold up, with such extreme weather like this, try to pace yourself out and get used to the weather first before slowly increasing your activity as the days go by.
If you need to be outdoors, our tip is to do it early in the day or at night when the weather is cooler. In the afternoons, take a little siesta or chill somewhere indoors. Always remember, aircon is your friend!
4. Dress for the occasion
What you wear is very important in a freak weather like this. Remember to always wear light colours and keep your clothing loose to allow more air in. When choosing what fabric to wear, keep it lightweight. As a general rule or thumb, cotton or linen is a good choice as they give your body room to breathe.
For those of you wearing hijabs, choose chiffon or soft polyester ones to help you keep cool. If you need to, keep a face spritzer with you all the time so you can hydrate yourself and refresh when the weather gets too hot.
So we hope you'll keep these tips in mind while travelling around Japan. Take care, drink up and keep cool ?