KARACHI: The scenes encountered during the recent heatwave remain fresh in the mind as one finds oneself praying that he or she should not have to face such extreme weather again.

As the humidity dropped and the mercury level crossed 40 degrees Celsius last week, one saw children taking a dip in muddy puddles by the roadside, people fanning themselves with whatever papers they had in their hands and people lining up outside cold drink depots to buy ice.

There were also some walking around with wet towels, some pouring cold water over their heads and some splashing their faces with water.

Some people were ‘helping out’ passers-by by spraying water with a hose. But the scorching sun and the hot air were unrelenting.

The worst and the scariest thing of all during the heatwave was hearing and reading about people suffering from heatstroke and even losing their grip on life as a consequence of the terrible heat.

As claimed by some quarters, there were some 60 deaths from heatstroke last week despite the setting up of heatwave camps all over the city and hospitals remaining on high alert.

The Sindh government then immediately respon­ded, saying no such deaths ever occurred in the province.

Sadly, fans and air conditioners too provided little solace as there is a problem at the K-Electric power plant in Bin Qasim these days due to which the city is also being made to tolerate extended hours of loadshedding.

Water too is a rare commodity for the citizens of Karachi and cooling down by taking a shower after reaching home was a luxury, which not many could afford.

Still this being a city by the sea there were beaches, especially the DHA and Clifton beach, for the citizens to head to in the evenings to find some relief.

Water has great cooling power so going to the beach is a good idea in this weather as besides cooling your heals in the ebbing tides you also get to enjoy the sea breeze.

Experts advise also to drink lots of water during Sehri and after Iftar in order to stay hydrated. They also suggest avoiding caffeine in hot weather along with protein-rich meals.

It is also good to wear light-coloured and loose clothes made preferably of cotton as it is a breathable fabric allowing air to circulate and move freely through it unlike silk or polyester.

And while we bear the heat, try and remember the animals, too. They are living creatures just like us and feel the ups and downs in temperature like we do.

Therefore, it is a good idea to leave them drinking water outside, ideally in clay pots to let them stay cool.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2018