Delhi—the heartland of the northern region of India is known to experience scorching temperatures in the summer season. The transition from the winter solstice to spring brings joy and life. However, this year, Delhi’s heat has peaked to an extent it had never reached before. Being the hotspot of many educational institutions, students have been the worse sufferer. What owe’s to this unbearable heat and how is it affecting college students? Let’s find out.
Delhi recorded its hottest April in 72 years on the 29th of April, 2022, with the average temperature being 40.2 degrees celsius and the hottest temperature recorded being 46.2 degrees celsius. During the summer months, parts of northwestern, central, and south-central India experience extreme heat with occurrences of heatwaves in the region. This April, Delhi recorded unprecedented heatwaves, to be precise, three of them back to back and it ended becoming the third warmest month in 122 years! With this ongoing heat catastrophe, college students have been the worse sufferer, with colleges running offline. The excruciating heat takes a toll on their mere day-to-day activities.
Being a college student myself, here are certain precautions that I take to beat the Delhi heat. However, there’s no one fit solution to a problem and one should follow whatever suits them the best!
MAKE UMBRELLA AND HEADSCARF YOUR BESTIEs
Given the scorching Delhi heat, using an umbrella or a headscarf goes a long way in protecting one from direct exposure to the Sun’s heat while leaving for college or simply while working outside on the college premises. It reduces the exhaustion induced by exposure to direct heat and provides little to minimal protection from tanning.
HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE!
During summers, our bodies tend to cool naturally through the process of sweating. Due to this reason, hydration becomes essential to balance the water content in our bodies. Otherwise, it might lead to dehydration. Water is the best fluid to beat this heat. Other fluids that tend to help include coconut water, fruit juices and beverages having electrolytes like ORS and Gatorade. However, not all kinds of fluids hydrate. Fluids like alcohol and caffeinated drinks should be avoided because they tend to pull out fluids from the body.
Protect that skin of yours!
With excellent heat come harmful rays as well. And our skin, being the outermost layer, is affected the most. Sunscreens and skin protectant lotions provide basic protection from the ultraviolet (UV) rays emitted by the Sun. Clinical Dermatologists recommend using sunscreens having SPF 30 or above. SPF or Sun Protection Factor indicates how much sunscreens can protect from sunburn. One can also use head covers and face covers to protect oneself from the heat are walking or traveling with indirect exposure to the Sun.
However, on the 4th of May, 2022, Delhi witnessed a mild shower, bringing in hopes of pleasant weather among the netizens and the college students. The rest remains to be seen how the hotter months of May and June pan out!