It's hard to breathe.
The air feel dense.
The harder you try to fill your lungs,
the heavier the air feels.
Your nostrils feel scorched
as you desperately try to fill your lungs.
And the harder you try to bring air into your body,
the worse you feel.
A heat wave can kill you.
The Sun and high temperature can cause hyperthermia,
which happens when your body
absorbs more heat than it can process.
Severe heat waves kill thousands of people.
Livestock and pets can die, too.
And farms can be devastated by crop failures.
In the city, power outages cause major problems
due to everyone using their air conditioners at the same time.
So, how can you survive a heat wave?
Well, here's how,
Because the weather is different
in different parts of the world,
there are different definitions for the term "heat wave."
But, it always means a period of unusually hot weather.
According to the World Meteorological Organization,
a heat wave is five or more consecutive days of prolonged heat,
when the daily maximum temperature
is higher than the average maximum temperature by 5 degrees or more.
In a country like New Zealand,
where the climate is influenced by
having a lot of water around it,
during a heat wave the air can be very humid,
making it particularly hard to breathe.
Luckily, there are a number of ways
that you can stay safe during a heat wave,
even if you don't have an air conditioner.
Hydrate yourself by drinking a lot of water,
and if you have it,
put ice into your drinks.
Fill buckets with water
and soak your feet to lower your body temperature.
Another trick is to soak a towel
and put it over your head and shoulders.
Cold showers and baths will keep your body at a normal temperature.
If you have a spray bottle,
fill it with cold water
and use it if you have to go outside.
Don't drink coffee or alcohol.
While those drinks contain water,
they're also diuretics,
which means that they promote urination.
During a heat wave,
you need to retain liquid instead of purging it.
Open the doors in your house or apartment
and use fans to push hot air outside.
During the day,
close your blinds or curtains
to keep the Sun's rays from heating your home.
When the Sun sets,
open your windows to let the cooler air inside.
Hot air rises, so it's best for you
to go to the basement or a lower floor where the temperature is cooler.
If it's unbearably hot in your home,
you may have to leave.
But where should you go?
Hopefully, there are buildings
that have air conditioning near you.
Libraries are a great place to go.
Shopping malls are another.
And a movie theater is a wonderful place to enjoy air conditioning
while getting your mind off a heat wave.
If you can, spend time at these places
during the hottest hours of the day.
Turn your lights off.
Don't use your oven or stove.
Eat cold food instead, such as fruit.
Turn off your computer,
and any appliances that are not essential.
At best, a heat wave is very uncomfortable.
At worst, you can get heat stroke,
heat rashes, heat cramps,
heat exhaustion, or even die.
However, if you follow the tips in this video,
you can survive a heat wave,
According to Science.