Reversal of daily life
In the hot season, the rented room in Phuoc Thoi ward (O Mon district, Can Tho city), where Ms. Dinh Thi Huyen and her husband - workers in Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho city) - rented to work became more stressful. Except for when going to work, almost when coming home, the whole family always turns on the fan continuously to cope with the heat.
"The weather is hot these days, I don't go home but every time I go home I have to turn on the fan. At night, the air is less pressureous but the fan is still turned on, sometimes I have to take the baby's cooling water. Otherwise, I would stay up all night and not sleep, Ms. Huyen said.
In a rental room of more than 10 square meters, Ms. Lam Kim Cac - a worker at Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City) - is also struggling with hot weather. The female worker said that not only the frequency of electricity use but also the family's water needs have increased significantly.
Every activity from eating, resting, studying or playing in the family requires a fan. The heat from the roof is getting hot, adults like me still find it uncomfortable, let alone children. Occasionally, I have to shower or mop up for my children to reduce the heat" - Ms. Cach shared.
According to Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Linh - a worker at Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City), in the past month, family activities have been affected to some extent by the heat. Not only does eating and resting become more difficult, but food preservation is also difficult.
A series of worries
Due to increased demand for electricity and water, Ms. Huyen has to face pressure due to increased living expenses. However, for the female worker, this is an expense that must be spent to ensure family activities during the hot season. With a limited income, Ms. Huyen chooses to save other expenses to balance her monthly electricity and water bills.
In addition to the high cost of electricity and water, Ms. Cach is even more worried about her children's health due to the hot weather.
"The electricity and water bills last month were about 500,000 VND, almost equal to the room rent of 600,000 VND/month. This month, my family used a lot of electricity and water, I think the contribution level should be increased from then on, not reduced. Electricity and water increase are enough, but the biggest concern is that the child has skin allergies due to heat" - Ms. Nhat confided.
Faced with this situation, Ms. C that using a lot of electricity and water is not necessarily a good solution to avoid heat, but on the contrary, it can affect health. The female worker chose thin, airy clothes as well as increased water, green vegetables and fruits to her children's meals.
The increase in money, electricity and water, and perishable food from the hot sun have created a significant burden in terms of costs for Ms. Linh. Along with changing her living habits and cooking, Ms. Linh also found many ways to fight fires to limit the impact of hot weather on her family life.
Instead of cooking for the whole day, I divided each meal into small pieces to avoid food spoiling. I also moved the blankets and mattresses on the attic to the lower floor to reduce the pressure, making the rest after work more comfortable. Although the heat cannot be completely avoided, these measures can help to reduce the impact of harsh weather, Ms. Linh expressed.
According to the Southern Hydrometeorological Station, in the coming days, the weather in the Southern region will be quite dry and sunny in the afternoon and evening. In the late afternoon and evening, there will be scattered showers and thunderstorms in some places.
