Time to Cool Down in Cuba!

By Ivett de las Mercedes

HAVANA TIMES — It’s commonplace to hear the phrase: it’s so hot! And that’s because high temperatures have been dealing us a hard blow for a few years now, especially in 2017. National media doesn’t really stress the need to drink liquids, but it is very important, especially when we leave the house.

Buying something out on the street becomes an odyssey sometimes, so it’s better to carry something in your bag with you. July has been the hottest month this year, with average temperatures being recorded at 32.1 degrees Celsius. This included the three highest temperature records for the month being broken in the towns of Guira de Melena with 35.6 degrees Celsius, Florida with 36.8 degrees and Esmeralda with 37 degrees.

It just so happens that our cooling mechanism lies in our skin; we sweat and when this sweat evaporates, it lowers the temperature of our skin and this is how we cool down. When there is a lot of humidity, this evaporation doesn’t take place and that’s why we feel hotter.

Doctors advise us to drink a lot of water throughout the day because this is how we flush out toxins and we prevent ourselves from getting dehydrated. Humans can survive several days without food, but not without water. Losing 20% of our bodies’ water can cause death. With so much heat in the middle of the holiday season, there are few drinks at the market, beaches are packed and people are looking for alternative ways to cool down.

Water is important not just to drink; some people seek out water to cool down… Here is an example at a park in Old Havana.

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