Short-lived relief: a new heat wave is knocking
After a brief break with temperatures up to 30 degrees, forecasters warn of a new heat wave around July 15, with readings up to 45 late in the month. Here is how to prepare your body in time.
- The break is short: a new heat wave is forecast around July 15, with temperatures above 35 degrees and an orange warning.
- In the last ten days of July, a red warning is possible, with readings between 40 and 45 degrees, about 5 degrees hotter than the June wave.
- Health officials advise 8 to 10 glasses of water a day and avoiding the sun from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The most vulnerable are children under two, people over 60 and those with chronic conditions.
Think the worst is over? It is not. The heat that eased over the past few days has only caught its breath before the next hit.
Friday, July 10, brought pleasant weather, sunny skies with temperatures from 27 to 30 degrees and a light to moderate northwesterly wind. By Saturday, July 11, a warning was already in force for maximum temperatures of 32 degrees and above, with an 80 percent probability. On Sunday, July 12, the south and the mountains can expect local showers and thunderstorms, with a probability of around 70 percent. That is the short break before the heat comes back through the front door.
Meteorologist Ivan Ristic forecasts a new heat wave around July 15, with temperatures above 35 degrees and an orange warning. Then comes the part that really worries us. In the last ten days of July, a red warning is possible, with readings between 40 and 45 degrees, about five degrees hotter than the wave we had in June. That is no longer just uncomfortable weather. It is the kind of heat that separates a healthy day from a sick one.
How do you prepare your body before it climbs past 40?
Preparation does not start on the day the thermometer breaks. It starts today, while the heat is still bearable. Serbia’s public health institute has laid out clear guidance, and here is how to turn it into a daily routine.
First, water. Drink 8 to 10 glasses a day, and not all at once when you are already thirsty, but in small sips throughout the day. By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already running a deficit. Second, timing. Avoid being outdoors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., when the sun is strongest. If you truly must go out, choose shade and take breaks.
Third, clothing. Light, pale, cotton clothing lets air through and reflects the sun, while dark and tight fabric does the opposite. Add sunscreen with a protection factor of 30 or higher, reapplied every two to three hours. Fourth, home. Try to keep indoor daytime temperatures below 32 degrees by lowering the blinds and airing rooms early in the morning and late at night. These are steps you can take today, before the wave arrives.
Who is most at risk and when do you call for help?
Heat does not hit everyone the same way. The most sensitive are children under two, people over 60 and those with chronic illnesses, so if someone from these groups lives with you, plan their day around the heat rather than the other way around. Infants and older people often do not feel thirst in time, so they should be offered water regularly, even when they do not ask for it.
There is a line where advice ends and emergency help begins. If someone loses consciousness or you notice dry, hot skin without sweating, those are signs of heat stroke, and you should call emergency services immediately. Do not wait for it to pass on its own. Until help arrives, move the person into the shade, cool them with damp cloths and raise their legs.
The best news in all of this is that we have a few days of relief. That is not time to relax, but to prepare. Fill your bottles, check on the neighbor who lives alone, replace the sunscreen that expired last summer. How do you plan to spend the hottest hours when the heat returns?
