Heatwave To Intensify - Met Department
The Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has warned the public that temperatures are set to further rise this Tuesday before the country gets rains.
Members of the public have also been urged to avoid the outdoors and stay hydrated all the time to avoid health complications.
A heatwave is an air mass of high temperature covering an extended area and moving relatively slowly. In short, it is a period of abnormally hot and usually humid weather.
In the past days, many areas in Zimbabwe have been recording high temperatures, with the highest being Beitbridge at 45 Degrees Celsius of 113 Fahrenheit.
MSD forecaster James Ngoma said the high temperatures were normal for this time of the year and people should take necessary precautions to be safe. Said Ngoma:
People should stay indoors to avoid this heat during the peak hours, which start at 10 am to 3 pm. Children should also be monitored and wear hats when playing.
Persons in malaria-prone areas should take necessary precautions, which include spraying insecticides, applying mosquito repellents and sleeping under mosquito nets.
He, however, said despite the heat, isolated thunderstorms are expected over Matabeleland provinces from Wednesday (tomorrow) onwards.
Online weather forecast service, ZIMCAST, said it is not advisable for anyone to be outdoors under direct sunlight. It said:
Members of the public should drink plenty of water, stay out of direct sunlight and avoid alcohol, energy drinks, carbonated drinks with sugar and drinks with caffeine.
They should consider eating light meals and avoid having large meals in one sitting.
Health expert Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said members of the public should increase their intake of water and avoid being outdoors as extreme dehydration could put people at risk of deep vein thrombosis which may result in sudden and catastrophic collapse.
Heatwaves are also associated with health risks such as heat strokes especially for people suffering from non-communicable diseases, said Ngwenya.
