If you live in Malaysia, you would have noticed that the weather has been unnaturally hot lately. According to reliable sources, this heat wave is going to last all the way up to March. This hot and dry weather is apparently cause by the El Nino phenomenon that is responsible for unusual weather in many parts of the world.

The daily temperatures are said to be hovering around 40°C, and this is possibly dangerous for many people, especially those who have to work many hours under the sun. Here’s how you can survive these challenging season:

• Stay indoors –Try to minimize outdoor activity. If you have meetings outside your office , try to choose and air conditioned restaurant. Avoid being out from 12noon to 5pm as these will be the hottest times of the day. If you want to bring your children out to play in the parks, try early mornings before 10 am or late evenings around 7pm when it’s cooler.

• Keep Hydrated – Drink about 7 to 8 glasses of water a day and if you want, drink iced tea or juices to cool down. Traditional herbal drinks and isotonic drinks will also be beneficial after you’re been out and sweated a lot.

• Take baths - To stay cool, try to take baths regularly with cold unheated water. It will refresh you and take away the feeling of heat lethargy.

• Damp towels - If you have to be working outdoors for long, take a wet towel and wrap it around your forehead. Bandannas work too. Carry a spray bottle filled with water to spray yourself and your clothes throughout the day.

• Ice cubes – In certain circumstances where you don’t have an air cond, you can pile some ice cubes on a flat plate or pan and put the pile in front of a table fan or stand fan. This will help to cool the indoor air.

• Reduce Alcohol and Cigarettes – Both these practices are able to dehydrate you faster and cause you to faint.

• Remove Extra Heat – If you identify any machinery in your house that is producing excess heat, like incandescent light bulbs, and laptops are turned off when not in use.

• Shade the Room – Keep out direct sunlight by covering your windows with shades, curtains or blinds.

• Be Sensitive – Look out for signs of heat related illness in yourself or your loved ones, including heat rash, heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

• Avoid Heavy Meals – Eating a big meal will drive up your metabolism system and cause your temperature to increase. Eat several light meals instead that comprise of many fresh fruits and vegetables.