Cooling a home without AC: shade, night air and cool roofs

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency estimated in 2018 that only about 6% of Indian households used an air conditioner. The Health Ministry's heat advisory has practical ways to keep a home and the people in it cooler.

By day, keep heat out. Keep windows and curtains closed during the day, especially on the sunny side of the house. Use curtains, shutters or sunshades. Try to stay on lower floors during the hottest part of the day. Avoid cooking during peak summer hours, and open doors and windows to ventilate the kitchen when you do cook.

At night, let cool air in. Open windows at night so cooler air can flow through.

Cool the body. Use a fan, spray bottles, damp cloths or ice towels. The advisory notes that putting your feet in cool water (about 20°C) above the ankles provides rapid cooling.

Cool roofs. The National Institute of Disaster Management's heat-wave documentation recommends cool-roof steps such as painting roofs white, creating green roofs and walls, and planting trees in neighbourhoods. It is worth raising with your landlord or RWA.

If it is still too hot, spend the hottest hours somewhere cooler and check on older neighbours. Watch for heat illness signs such as dizziness, headache, nausea and confusion, and call 108 or 102 in an emergency.

Join the El Niño help room on soshyal.com to ask questions and share what you see in your area.