THERMAL TRAP: How to protect yourself from El Niño’s extreme heat
As supercharged El Niño conditions bring dangerous temperatures across South Africa, mortality predictions, though jarring, only scratch the surface of the crisis.
Title: Thermal Trap: Protecting Yourself from El Niño's Extreme Heat
El Niño, a natural climate pattern, is causing extreme heat across South Africa. Professor Sibusiso Mkwananzi, a demographer at the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, emphasizes the severity of the situation. Extreme heat can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other health complications. Vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, are particularly at risk.
In informal settlements, temperatures can be up to five degrees Celsius higher indoors than outdoors due to corrugated iron housing. Immediate actions can help mitigate the impact, such as reflective roof coatings, community greenery, hydration depots, and passive cooling knowledge. These low-cost strategies can significantly reduce heat stress and improve public health during El Niño.
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