It’s official. France is about to get very hot. It’s canicule (heatwave) time.Thirty départements (including Creuse) are on orange alert  with an awful lot of the rest currently on yellow alert. It’s bringing drought with it so watch out for water restrictions being introduced in your area.

So here’s a quick reminder of the key things to do during a canicule:

1. Keep the house cool

Close blinds and curtains of windows facing the sun.

Keep windows closed if the outside temperature is hotter than the indoor one. Only open them late at night and shut them early in the  morning.

Try and keep the air moving, with a fan if possible.

Don’t have too many heat-producing electrical items running e.g. computers, TV etc.

Covering yourself in mud is probably pretty good too!

2. Keep yourself cool

Stay out of the sun between 11am and 9pm. This one is kind of hard to stick to.

Stay in the coolest room of the house.

Go out to a place with air conditioning (they suggest the supermarket) at least for a short while if your house becomes too hot.

Have cool showers or baths and don’t dry yourself afterwards.

Get strenuous jobs done very early or very late and have a good siesta over the hottest part of the day. Sounds like a plan!

3. Stay hydrated

Drink water regularly. Avoid alcohol, too much coffee etc.

Eat lots of watery fruit e.g. cucumbers, melons, apples etc.

Nibble at bread, sip soup to keep you salt levels up.

Don’t overexert yourself outdoors.

4. Keep an eye on family members and neighbours

The very young and very old are most at risk so be extra vigilant you have people in these age groups in your family.

 

Take care and enjoy the sun sensibly.

 

 

Here is a very useful site to have a look at. It’s the department of health’s website about heatwaves and extremely warm weather. There’s also a canicule hotline (what else would it be?) at 0 800 06 66 66.