Traveler's Edition
Talk about mercury rising… India has recorded its hottest day. Ever. On Thursday, May 19th, 2016 the town of Phalodi reached a scorching temperature of 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
It was the second day in a row that the town in the western state of Rajasthan experienced temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122°F). Other towns like Churu also recorded scorching temperatures on the same day.
New Delhi, India’s capital city, experienced a temperature of 47 degrees Celsius (116.6°F) on Wednesday. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the highest temperature ever recorded was was 56.7 degrees Celsius (134.06°F) in Death Valley, California on July 10th, 1913.
Rajasthan is the hottest place in India, home to the Thar Desert.
How to keep cool in extreme heat
Find yourself in a scorching situation while on vacation? Here’s a few ways to keep cool in extreme heat:
- Eat small meals throughout the day and avoid high protein foods to keep your metabolic heat down
- Run your wrists under a cold tap for five seconds every few hours
- Eat spicy food to make you sweat, which in turn helps keep your body cool
- Avoid drinking alcohol, which dehydrates the body; try chrysanthemum tea instead
- If all else fails, close your eyes and think of your last ski trip…
If you’d love to visit India, but can’t take the heat, February-March is the best time to book flights to Delhi for. Spring is lovely and warm but not hot yet.
