How to stay safe outdoors in extreme heat

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An umbrella in one hand, a handheld fan in the other.

If you could bring only one while heading out in sweltering summer heat, which should it be?

If you have to walk under direct sunlight, an umbrella should come first.

While a handheld fan creates airflow, it cannot block the heat your body absorbs from the sun.

Block sun’s heat first The reason it feels especially scorching under direct sunlight is that your body is exposed not only to the air temperature but also to radiant heat from the sun.

A handheld fan cannot block this heat.

It simply helps sweat evaporate, making you feel cooler.

An umbrella, by contrast, shields you from direct sunlight and reduces the amount of heat reaching your body.

It also creates shade over your head, face, shoulders and part of your upper body.

A study by Japanese researchers found that under intense sunlight, using an umbrella lowered the heat stress index at head level by an average of 1.8 degrees Celsius compared with having no shade.

The index takes into account air temperature, humidity, solar radiation ...