CAIRO: As the summer heat reaches new record levels, electricity bills are soaring across the country. However, the less fortunate, who can afford neither fans nor air conditioners, are literally thinking outside the box to fend off the heat. "My family and me sleep on the roof of our house, says Ashraf Ali, a resident of El-Nahya, a rural area where most people cannot afford air conditioners. "That's the normal thing to do, he added. Ashraf described how almost everyone in his area "sleeps on roofs, or even in the street in front of their houses, he said. Even though the nighttime breeze is "heavenly on the roof, according to Ashraf, the comfort is short-lived as people have to wake up at the crack of dawn to avoid the scorching rays of the sun. "Some people just pull the blankets over their heads, he said. He also added that even the people who own fans are forced to sleep outside due to the extreme heat. Ashraf Abdullah, a Zamalek shopkeeper who resides in El-Sharabiya, said that while some people in his area of Shoubra may resort to sleeping on their roofs, most people rely on the cooling effects of water. "Everyone I know takes up to three or four showers a day, he said. "One shower when you come back from work, an especially cold shower before you go to sleep and one final shower at 2 am after tossing and turning all night in bed because of the heat. Ibrahim Ismail, another Zamalek shopkeeper who resides in Bashteel, says that the summer heat is much more unforgiving in poorer areas. "You can feel it once you cross the bridge from Zamalek into Kitkat, the temperature just goes up! he said. While people don't resort to sleeping on the roof in Bashteel, he says they spend most of their time outside, sitting at traditional coffee shops or on the street. "It's the walls, they just increase the heat, he added. While those who can afford air conditioning are spared from the effects of the heat; summer still carries with it the burden of towering electricity bills. "During summer, I pay an average of LE 1,700 a month, said Michael Samir, a Zamalek resident. Creating a cool habitat can be costly, and leaving the AC on all day may result in a hefty bill. "It can't be avoided though, the heat is just intense, he added. Egypt has been experiencing an unusual rise in temperatures this summer, beginning with an unprecedented heat wave detected by the Egyptian Meteorological authority late June. People were warned against long exposure to the sun as temperature levels soared across the country.
