Taking Care in Rainy Seasons

Taking precautions in Rainy seasons is very- very important. The beginnings of the rainy season are vigorously welcomed by everybody after experiencing the boiling heat of summer. In rainy season the immunity of our body and reduces and make us vulnerable to many diseases which are commonly connected with this season. It is point in time for us to keep our body resistant against diseases by boosting our immunity and taking precautions against these diseases.The diseases associated with rainy season are malaria, jaundice, gastro intestinal infections like typhoid and cholera. Apart from these, viral infections like cold and cough also make their presence.A small pool of water, especially rainwater is become breeding grounds for mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria and dengue fever. As a precautionary measure against mosquito bite born diseases one can use mosquito net around the bed which is better choice to mosquito repellants like mats and coils. A mosquito repellant cream is the best choice when you are away from home. Fumigating the house with smoke of dried Neem leaves in evenings for 1-2 minutes is an excellent Ayurvedic remedy to keep mosquitoes away.

Hygiene is very important during rainy season as infection through water is very common. Pollution of drinking water during rainy season is very common. So make sure the water you are consuming is not contaminated. It is very necessary to drink clean and pure water when water borne rainy seasons diseases like diarrhea and gastro intestinal infections intimidate us. Drinking boiled water at home is strongly recommended to tap water. Prefer mineral water of government certified companies when you are away from home.

Walking in dirty water during rainy season leads to plentiful fungal infections which affect toes and nails. Diabetic patients have to take a special care about their feet. Always keep your feet dry and clean. Avoid walking in dirty water. Keep your shoes, socks and raincoats dry and clean.
Precautions have to be taken to prevent humidity and growth of fungus on and around the house where asthmatic patients live. Avoid fumigation in case of asthmatic patients. Always keep the surrounding dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around. As far as possible drink only filtered water, that has not been stored for several days. Do not enter air conditioned room with wet hair and moist cloths. Dry your feet and webs with soft dry cloth whenever they are wet. Wash vegetables with clean water and steam them well to kill germs. Avoid eating uncooked foods and salads. Drink plenty of water and keep your body well hydrated. Do not allow kids to play in sluggish polluted water filled puddles.

Also make sure that water or food is being stored in a clean air tight container. Avoid eating chats, pakoda’s, snacks, cut fruits and juices from roadside vendors. If you are eating out make sure the place you have chosen conforms to some basic standards of quality and hygiene or you can acquire serious infections like viral fever and diarrhea. Rainy season also increases your craving for fried foods. So beware weightwatchers.

Enjoy the season with pakoda’s but they should be homemade and because they are very high in calories you must check the quantity, method of preparation and of course the frequency with which you are take in as food.

Stay Safe On Rainy Season

Below, you will find safety tips on Staying Safe during the Rainy Season:

Slips & Falls

• Wear appropriate footwear with solid support and slip resistant soles.
• Don’t be in a hurry; avoid slipping on wet sidewalks or walkways by taking slow, short steps.
• Avoid walking through puddles no matter how shallow they appear.
• Avoid using wet stairs; use the elevator during the rainy season.
• If you do use the stairs, never walk the stairs with your hands in your pockets, and always use the handrails.
•

Be alert to water that may be tracked in around doorways; be a leader in safety by cleaning up wet hazards.
• Make sure that there are entry matt’s in the doorways so workers can dry their feet before entering.

While Driving

• Give yourself more time for heavy traffic due to rain.
• Obey the speed limit and drive slower in the rain; the roads are very slick when wet!
• Maintain an extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.
• Make sure that the windshield wipers are in proper working order; change the wiper blades before the rainy season arrives.
• Make sure that the defroster is in proper working order; keep the dash clear so as to not block the defroster.
• Turn on your headlights while driving during rainy weather.
• Do not drive around road barricades; they are there for your safety, the road or bridge may be washed out.
• Avoid driving into flooded areas; if your vehicle stalls in rapidly rising floodwaters, abandon it immediately and climb to higher ground.

Handy things to be kept in the car :

Hammer: to break the glass in case of an auto-lock system failure.
Thick nylon rope, about 20 meters long, with a hook
Fully charged powerful torch.
A working whistle.
Plastic sheets and spare umbrella.
Keep extra tyre (stepni) ready all the times.
Adequate dry, non -perishable food items.
Adequate quantity of water.
A well equipped emergency first aid kid. 

ABSOLUTE DONT'S IN RAINY SEASON DRIVING

Don’t drive in heavy rain - When visibility is so limited that the edges of the road or other vehicles cannot be seen at a safe distance, it is time to pull over and wait for the rain to ease up. It is best to stop at rest areas or other protected areas. If the roadside is your only option, pull off as far as possible, and wait until the rain slows. Keep your headlights on and turn on emergency flashers to alert other drivers.
Do not apply brakes suddenly while driving in the rain, instead control the speed with the accelerator, pump the brake peddle and apply the brake slowly, as sudden braking may result in skidding or overturning of the vehicle.
Do not suddenly swing the vehicle while driving in the rain which can result in the vehicle skidding or rolling over.
Avoid driving in the rain during darkness. A simple but important thumb rule is “if you can’t see the road, there is no road”. At night, rainy roads become especially treacherous. The glare of oncoming lights is amplified by the rain on your windscreen which causes temporary loss of visibility, which can result in an accident. This also increases driver fatigue. Livestock, pedestrians, bicycles & other two wheelers are extremely hard to spot and even harder to avoid.
Never drive through moving water until and unless you can see the ground clearly. if you can't see the ground through it; your vehicle could be swept off the road.
Avoid off-road driving.it's hard to judge the actual depth of puddles and you can easily become stuck.
During thunderstorm avoid contact with metal or conducting surfaces outside and inside the vehicle. Lightning that strikes nearby can travel through wet ground to your car.


The rainy season is upon us once again. While we appreciate the rain and what it can do for the valley, precautions should be taken to ensure safety for you and your co-workers.

Heavy Rain and Wind Storm Pet Care Advice

When it comes to severe weather, it seems some animals have good instincts, however, companion pets such as cats, dogs and rabbits etc., due to being domesticated, may have lost a lot of their instinctual urges and need our protection. This also includes farm animals.

Below are some of our top tips:

* Make sure your pets are micro chipped. In the event of a storm/flash flood, pets can panic and may run away, become disoriented and get lost. A micro chipped pet has the best possible chance of being returned to its owner.

* Make sure all your pets’ vaccinations are up to date.

* Make sure your animal has plenty of shelter. Ideally, all animals should be kept indoors during severe weather conditions, especially during heavy rain/flooding.

* If you are allowing your pet outside to pee or poo, put them on a lead and walk out with them. Only allow them limited access to relieve themselves and take them back into the house as soon as possible.

* If you have pets living in your back garden, e.g. rabbits, please make sure their hutches are brought indoors or are placed safely into a sturdy garden shed/garage. Do not leave rabbit hutches around or near a fence/tree that may collapse onto it during a high wind.

* If your home is located in a flood area, make sure that, in the event you are required to evacuate, all pet carriers are kept by the door in preparation for such an emergency and you have stocked up on plenty of sustenance for your animals; including bedding. Hotels, guest houses or shelters will not always provide food and water for your animals.

* If you own exotic pets, make sure you have extension leads so that you can plug in heat lamps and if you have an aquarium, invest in a back up air filter.

* For farm animals it’s advisable to fence off a pasture area on high ground. Cows and horses are examples of farm animals that can be caught off guard during flooding and will require a safe pasture before water rises in order to secure their best chances of survival.


For more weather information, log onto www.met.ie


For general flooding advice read more on http://flooding.ie/en/