It's going to be hot in Bonn and the surrounding region in the next few days! Temperatures will rise to around 30 degrees. The most important thing is to drink plenty of fluids and, if possible, stay in the shade. And there are a few other tips you can follow to stay healthy in the hot days.The heat can quickly affect your cardiovascular system.

This is because blood vessels dilate at high temperatures, explains Professor Christian Strassburg from the University Hospital in Bonn. This makes it easier for the body to emit heat. But blood pressure can drop, which can cause dizziness, headaches or even heat stroke in direct sunlight. In general, you should drink a lot of fluids and, above all, drink evenly throughout the day.

Thirst itself is already a sign of fluid deficiency. In addition to water, isotonic drinks, juice spritzers or unsweetened tea are good options.Alcoholic drinks are not a no-go, according to Strassberg. But they should be taken in moderation, as they have a desalinating effect on the body. They could aggravate problems caused by the heat or sweating.

Cold drinks are only suitable at first glance: liquids that are too cool must first be warmed up by the body, which takes additional energy. Hot drinks, on the other hand, promote sweating. So lukewarm drinks are recommended, as they are the quickest cooling agent available to the body.

A cold cloth placed on the neck or throat can also help quickly and effectively with cardiovascular problems. This can help the blood pressure to rise again.

Avoid vigorous physical activity, unless you are used to it, says Strassburg. If you are out and about, you should protect yourself from the UV rays with sunscreen and, if you are in direct sunlight, by wearing a head covering.

When outdoor temperatures are high, rooms also heat up quickly - especially when the sun is shining through the windows. Ventilate your rooms when it’s cooler outside, at night or in the morning. Afterwards, you should keep the windows closed and possibly darken the rooms to keep the sun out. Roller shutters and external blinds are the most effective, explains the energy advisory service of the consumer centres. Because they are fitted on the outside, they keep out much more heat than curtains on the inside.

Heat can be a real problem in the loft. Proper ventilation can help. Cover windows in the roof with a special sun protection film from the DIY store or sun protection glazing. A possible negative side effect: these heat protection aids may darken the room.

You can lower indoor temperatures with an air conditioner. But these should never be pointed at you, but at the ceiling. Otherwise there is a risk of draughts, which may give you a sore throat, for example. Ventilators can also help. These do not lower the room temperature, but they do provide a cooling effect. Light fabrics such as cotton or linen are suitable for bedroom linen in the summer.

What we eat influences how we feel. Instead of fries or a greasy burger, choose light food such as salad. Foods that are difficult to digest and fatty only put additional strain on the body. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cucumber or tomatoes can also regulate the need for fluids.

Light or breathable clothing is also a good idea. Clothes that fit loosely around the body allow air to flow between the layers, removing heat and cooling the skin.

If you want to escape the warm temperatures outside or within your own four walls and have something to experience at the same time, you have a number of options in Bonn. Museums, for instance, tend to have cooler temperatures, and cinemas are usually air-conditioned. A visit to the open-air swimming pool or a walk in the forests of the region can also cool you down.

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What was unthinkable a year ago - petrol prices that cracked the two-euro mark - is now completely commonplace. Despite the fuel discount that has been in effect since 1 June, petrol and diesel prices are still at record highs. In the course of the day, however, they change several times, rising and falling according to what appear to be obscure criteria.

The automobile association ADAC wants to provide more clarity with a new study. To this end, it observed price movements at petrol stations throughout Germany for a month. The frequently changing fuel prices are "pure calculation" it says. "The mineral oil companies are trying to boost their profits with the frequent price jumps," the association explains on its website. The study was based on all price movements at about 14,000 petrol stations in Germany, which were recorded every 15 minutes throughout May.

The results of the study: petrol and diesel are most expensive in the morning. After the prices remain more or less constant during night for a long period of time, there is a sharp increase beginning at around 5 a.m. and peaking shortly after 7 a.m. This is the highest price level of the entire month. This also forms the highest price level of the day.

After that, prices initially fall, only to rise again after 9 a.m. Further price peaks follow during the course of the day at around 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and finally from 11 p.m. The price then goes back to its overnight level.The ADAC analysis shows that fuel prices are generally lowest between 8 and 10 p.m. The period between 6 and 7 p.m. is also comparatively cheap.So if you fill up strategically, i.e. at the right time at a cheap petrol station, you can save a lot of money - "and also boost competition on the fuel market", stresses the ADAC.Filling up at the right time is particularly rewarding for drivers of diesel cars: in the ADAC analysis, the difference between the most expensive time at 7 a.m. and the cheapest phase (between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.) is on average 16 cents per litre.The same times of day apply to the drivers of petrol cars, but here the price peaks in the morning and evening are somewhat less pronounced than for diesel.

The saving is only about 10 cents per litre.Since the data are nationwide averages, they cannot be transferred one-to-one to every petrol station and every time of day. The analysis thus only shows tendencies and not regional. "What is for sure, however, is that it is by far cheaper to fill up in the evening," concludes ADAC spokesman Andreas Hölzle.This is also shown by our exemplary analysis of price fluctuations at a petrol station on Endenicher Straße in Bonn. The data from Tuesday, 14 June, clearly show the various peaks during the course of the day. The highest price level was in the early morning, and towards the evening it becomes significantly cheaper.

The price differences over the course of the day amount to 13 cents for diesel and eleven cents for E5 and E10 petrol.The ADAC is not yet able to give a final answer as to whether and how the fuel discount will affect price fluctuations at petrol stations. "At the moment, we have no information that the dynamics will change due to the fuel discount.

But we want to take a closer look at the fluctuations when the fuel discount expires," explains Hölzle.By the way: When the ADAC took a closer look at the price fluctuations over the course of the day last year, the distance between the most expensive and the cheapest time to fill up was much smaller. At that time, customers could save more than seven cents per litre of Super E10 and around six and a half cents per litre of diesel.

(Original text: Sandra Liermann)

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The number of people infected with Coronavirus in Bonn has risen sharply in the last few days. As the City of Bonn announced on Wednesday, the seven-day incidence in Bonn is now 335.2, compared to 209.0 the previous week.

Last week, the public health department registered a total of 1108 new Coronavirus infections, with 1812 people now infected in Bonn. The age group most affected is 20–39-year-olds, where the incidence is 526.6, followed by the 40-59 age group with 377.3.

The health department sees various reasons for the rising infection figures. These include the lifting of the obligation of the mask mandate in many public places and the fact that more people are out and about in summer temperatures. In addition, there are large numbers of visitors at public events, and crowded city streets. The increasing spread of the Omicron variant, which is easier to transmit, is also contributing to the development of the pandemic.

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Two more people in Bonn have tested positive for the virus known as “monkeypox”. After the first case was reported to the city on Whit Monday, there are now three people affected. The second case is reported to be someone who has returned from a trip. The person, who is in quarantine, is doing well, a spokesperson for the city said. The health department is in regular contact with them. There are no close contacts.

The third case is a person who is currently not in Bonn. After the Health Department was able to contact them, they will also be quarantined in Bonn and treated as an outpatient, according to the statement. The person is also doing well so far, the city said. There is no connection between any of the cases. For reasons of data protection, the city did not disclose more information about the persons affected.

(Original text: Christine Bähr; Translation: Jean Lennox)