BEIRUT: Air conditioners are working overtime, and even the slowest of walkers is likely to break into a sweat while outside. There’s no question that it’s hot outside, but experts say despite collective perspiration, this is no heat wave.

In fact, there hasn’t even been one yet this summer.According to the Meteorological Department at Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport, the recent high temperatures are actually normal for the Lebanese summer.

The department said high temperatures were indeed registered at the beginning of last week when it rose to 42°Celsius in the Bekaa and reached 34°Celsius in some of the coastal cities and villages.

Still, according Mike Abdel-Karim Damaj, an official at the department, last week’s high temperatures are not part of a heat wave and are simply standard summer temperatures for both internal and coastal regions.

“A temperature of 34°Celsius in Beirut is not very high. When it reaches 39° or 40°Celsius in the city, then we can say we’re having a heat wave,” Damaj said, adding that it was normal for temperatures to hit the low 40s in the Bekaa Valley, as the region has low humidity and is exposed to North-Eastern wind.

“Heat waves mainly take place when the country is exposed to winds coming from the East,” Damaj said. “For now the wind is southeastern and coming from the sea.” He noted that although no heat waves are expected in the coming week and the temperature will not increase, people living in coastal areas will feel especially hot as the wind coming from the sea will carry high humidity with it.

Wassim Abu Khafsha, who also works at the Meteorological Department, confirmed that the country’s seaside location makes it susceptible to high humidity, causing people to feel very hot even when temperatures do not reflect that feeling.

“The summer heat has not increased since last year. The Lebanese people tend to forget things two days after they occur. In fact, the temperature last summer was higher, reaching 45°Celsius in some areas,” said Abu Khafsha.

According to Jinan Usta, a family medicine specialist at the American University of Beirut’s Medical Center, there are simple precautions that people can take to protect themselves against the summer sun and heat.

These include wearing light-weight clothes and long sleeves to avoid direct sun exposure, donning hats and wearing sunscreen. Usta also advised that drinking fluids with electrolytes can decrease dehydration, and recommended that people avoid wearing dark colors and walking outside during midday, when the sun it at its strongest.

Family physician Ghazi Taan also suggested that regularly washing one’s face with water can help keep skin hydrated, and recommended the use of sunglasses to protect eyes and skin.

Taan stressed the importance of avoiding the type of street food which might not be well preserved, especially as high temperatures tend to increase disease-causing microbes in food.

Although this year’s summer has not been a heat wave, Nadim Farajalla, a professor of hydrology and water resources at AUB, said there’s no escaping the fact that climate change will be manifested in higher temperatures in the coming years.

According to Farajalla, climate change might mean an increase in the number and severity of heat waves. ”We cannot predict increases in temperature when talking about next month. But when you look at the sum total of pervious years and the trend that is forming, the coming years will be much warmer.

“If we feel hot now, imagine three years down the road,” he said.

As for other environmental problems which might be brought on by summer heat, such as forest fires, Farajalla said the sun is still drying out those areas that were dampened by the spring rain. It is not until the end of August or the start of September that we should expect a wave of forest fires.