Preparing for the heat

As of today, the temperatures are rising quickly. Today it will be between 29° Celsius at the coast to 35° more land inward. Tomorrow it's going to be in the thirties all around and on Thursday the weather bureau expects the hottest day ever since they began their measurements. It will easily mount to 39°. In Holland they even expect temperatures around 40°. Sometimes you can believe you live in the south of France!

Of course, people need to be careful in this heat. Especially youngsters and the elderly have to pay attention. The KMI (weather bureau) advices to stay indoors as long as the sun is out. And to keep your house as cool as possible. In Dendermonde, this is relatively easy but here at the coast it's nigh impossible. We have a rooftop flat, fully exposed to the south. While this is a big advantage in winter, in the heat of summer it's not a blessing. The sun comes down relentlessly on the roof, and the only thing we can do is let down the blinds and not move too much. Learn to sleep in a bedroom that's a sauna (well, normally we manage). And drink enough water and eat normally. Just take a bit of care of what you eat. Dishes with a cheese sauce are not for these days! But a fish risotto Indian style is great now. 

Around the weekend the weather should turn and it will become cooler. Not too much, I hope. We haven't had a lot of good weather this summer yet.