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Mercury has risen sharply in Karachi recently, with the city recording its hottest day in eight years on Monday. The heat has killed at least 10 people and many residents are having to endure a perfect storm of extreme temperatures, lengthy power cuts and a water supply shortage.

During such difficult times, we wanted to give our readers a guide on how to get through the city’s summer and the many challenges it brings with it.

1. Hydrate well and often

Conventional wisdom says you should aim to drink around eight glasses of water a day, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

In this blistering heat, we’d recommend drinking two to three litres of water a day, ideally with some salt or lemon juice added to boost the body’s electrolyte count.

We also suggest keeping a couple of packets of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) handy in case you or someone around you is feeling the effects of dehydration.

2. Stay indoors

Avoid going outside as much as you can and avoid standing in the sun, even if you have to be outdoors. Try to find some shade — a shed, a tree or the shadow of a building.

If you’re facing a power outage at home, try hanging wet sheets of cloth on your windows, this will cool the usually hot wind blowing in and make it a little more bearable — it’s what people used to do in the days before air-conditioning.

Use curtains, blinds — and wet sheets — to block out the sun during the day and open them at night to help the day’s accumulated heat escape.

3. Dress to survive

In this weather, fashion takes a backseat and the priority should be to wear loose-fitting, light and breezy clothes that let your body breathe. Go for cottons and linens, avoid heavier fabric and dark colours that might soak up the sun’s light.

Hats haven’t really been ‘in’ for some time now, but they can save your life in this weather. Wear wide-brimmed ones; the wider, the better, straw, boonie and bucket hats are best suited for this.

Umbrellas, also out of non-monsoon fashion for as long as anyone can remember, are also a good way to shield yourself from the unforgiving sun.

4. Be mindful of those around you

You’re not facing the elements alone, so try to carry some extra bottles of water for anyone who may need them, especially people working in the sun like construction workers, hawkers, traffic police officers and delivery riders.

You should also know how to recognise if a person is suffering from heatstroke and how to render necessary first-aid. According the Mayo Clinic, symptoms include dizziness, nausea, rapid pulse and breathing, headaches, fever and either excessive sweating or no perspiration at all.

You should call emergency services immediately if someone is experiencing heatstroke and try to cool the person down. Bring them into a cool, shaded environment and wet their body, especially around the neck and armpits.

If the person is conscious, offer them chilled water and some of that ORS we said you should carry. If they are unconscious and you can’t feel their pulse, begin CPR immediately.

5. Animals need your love too

While we can do so many things to escape the heat, stray cats, dogs and birds don’t get as many choices in the matter, so be kind to them please.

Open your porches, terraces and any covered spaces outside your house to animals and leave out some food and a dish of water for them to drink.

When taking out your cars, check to see if any animals are sheltering under them to escape the sun, give them a little nudge before your fire up your engine.

As long-term solutions to Karachi’s heat crisis involving large-scale tree plantation and pedestrian-centric urban design seem distant, people will have to personally adapt to rising temperatures in the short-term.

These precautions and practices will help you live better and safer in the coming days.