Older people are at risk of getting ill or dying from excessive heat. As they age, we see changes in their body's ability to thermoregulate. Cold water immersion is the best form of cooling body temperature down. Things like fans and wedding clothing can help keep you cool during a heatwave.
As record temperatures spread across the world, Ian Sample sets out to understand what heat does to our bodies and what we can do to mitigate it without causing more damage to the environment. He visits Prof Lewis Halsey’s team at the University of Roehampton and learns first-hand about the body’s response to heat. He also hears from scientists Prof Jean Palutikof and Dr Aaron Bach about how we can adapt buildings and working conditions in a changing climate.. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod