Tips for staying cool in extreme summer heat without air conditioning
10 reported
A summer of extreme heat is affecting much of the world, according to a report from NPR. The article, written by Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar, a heat wave researcher who grew up in Uttar Pradesh, India, shares cooling strategies used in India and other Global South countries where air conditioning is often unaffordable. The tips include drinking liquids like water, coconut water, and aam ka pana; eating cucumbers or pineapple; taking cold showers; and seeking shade or cooler parts of a building. The article also describes architectural cooling methods such as jaali screens and swamp coolers, as well as wearing light-colored or dark clothing depending on sun exposure. The author emphasizes that these methods, used together, can help the body cool down, and warns that signs of heatstroke require immediate medical attention.
What’s reported
The article is from NPR, published July 15, 2026, and written by Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar, a Seattle-based Aspen New Voices fellow who researches heat health impacts.
In Uttar Pradesh, India, temperatures can exceed 120 degrees in May and June, but few people have air conditioning due to a per capita income of around $1,000 a year.
Recommended drinks include water, sugarcane juice, coconut water, aam ka pana (raw mango juice), lassi, and buttermilk.
Cooling strategies include cold showers, splashing water, seeking lower floors or verandas, using heavy curtains, and moving furniture to catch breezes.
Architectural tips include jaali (latticed stone screens), water bodies outside buildings, and grass or bamboo curtains sprayed with water.
Swamp coolers (evaporative coolers) are cheaper and use less energy than air conditioners.
Clothing advice: cotton and linen fabrics are cooling; women in some communities wear darker colors (cool faster indoors), men wear lighter colors (heat up slower outdoors).
Head and neck covering with wet cloths like gamcha or dupatta is common; pith helmets were used historically.
Avoiding the noonday sun and taking afternoon siestas are recommended; farmers in Uttar Pradesh work early mornings and late evenings.
Signs of heatstroke include fever, headache, nausea, confusion, or weakness; call an ambulance and use ice packs while waiting.
Key figures
Dr. Gulrez Shah Azhar: Seattle-based Aspen New Voices fellow, heat wave researcher, former postdoctoral fellow at University of Washington, policy researcher at RAND Corp., assistant professor at Indian Institute of Public Health.
Sources: NPR
