FANS CAN HELP IN HIGH HEAT – BUT ONLY IF YOU USE THEM RIGHT

New research have found that electric fans might help to cool one down even at higher temperatures than previously thought, but only if they use them the right way. The finding is the latest in a long quest to pinpoint exactly when it is too hot to use an electric fan. Since the 1990s, the US CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) has cautioned against fan use above 90°F (32°C). The new study, published in JAMA Network Open, suggests that in certain conditions - particularly when fans are combined with skin wetting - they may help to reduce heat strain and improve comfort, even in 100°F (38°C) heat.

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The World Health Organisation caps the threshold at 104°F (40°C), and other recent research is also in line with the higher limit. This is because when the air temperature becomes greater than our skin temperature, then we actually gain heat from the environment. This is why fans can sometimes increase one's body temperature, despite feeling cool. With climate change fueling longer and more dangerous heat waves, especially in urban areas, figuring out safe and effective ways to cool down is crucial, particularly for older adults and people with heart conditions, who are more susceptible to heat-related illness.