Cool ideas for relief when the heat is on

WANT to beat the heat this summer? We asked The Herald Facebook friends if they knew of any clever, low-cost tricks to help keep your cool when the weather is sizzling.

Some of the ideas were red hot.

Artha Zoneleni and Theo Klaas suggested ironing your clothes and putting them in the freezer before taking a shower to keep cool afterwards. Or wrapping your pillow in a plastic bag and putting it in the fridge during the day for a cool place to put your head at night.

"Your temples are also pulse points and cooling these areas will help reduce heat throughout your body. It's a bit extreme but it works," Klaas said.

Caroline Morgan and Michelle Geel said hanging a wet sheet across an open window or doorway had a similar effect to an air conditioner.

Mandy Coetzee suggested: "Use a spray bottle filled with water then mist yourself in front of the fan."

Este Coetzee said holding your wrists under cold running water for five seconds every couple of hours helped cool the blood.

SA Weather Service forecaster Tennielle Jacobs said the heat was normal for this time of the year.

But there is some relief on the way. A slightly cooler front is expected to hit Nelson Mandela Bay this weekend.

"The front will bring slightly cooler weather [today], especially in the east where temperatures will reach the mid-20s," Jacobs said.

Tomorrow Port Elizabeth has an expected minimum temperature of 18°C and a high of 26°C. The minimum on Sunday will be 17°C and the maximum 27°C.

In Cradock and Graaff-Reinet weekend temperatures should reach 31°C.

Knysna, East London and Queenstown will all experience similar temperatures tomorrow, with a minimum of 18°C for Knysna, 19°C for East London and 17°C for Queenstown. They should all reach a maximum of 25°C.

Jacobs said temperatures across the province would start climbing again from Monday.