Well, it's certainly tough. The heat wave makes it impossible to get outside. All you can do is stay indoors in air-conditioner.
What percentage of the population has air conditioners? Also, what do you think would happen if you didn’t have one?
I honestly can’t imagine that kind of heat and how people could even survive in it.
I would say less than 10%. Desert coolers are quite effective here, due to the no-humidity, which are way cheaper. I imagine, people who live here have the bodies adapted to it. Also, the house structures, food and other things have traditionally been developed keeping in mind the extreme heat, so I think that makes a lots of difference.
Breathing per se should be fine. If you've ever been in a sauna, you'll know you can breathe air even when it's above the boiling point -- not for very long, to be sure, but that's got more to do with the extreme rate of sweating than your lungs. The lungs are always wet, which keeps them cool from evaporation.
People go to saunas where it is above 100 so 50 should not be that bad.
Of course, I do not imagine anything productive can be done.
OTOH, is it not close to working conditions in some mines? That sounds like hell.
Above 100°C? So saunas that are hotter than boiling water?
That's right. Almost any sauna would be like this. Try one in your country and check the thermometer for yourself.
The air is so dry. When someone throws water on the coals, then you really feel it in your lungs.
They are but theres very low humidity. Water at that temperature would boil and we know what happens when we stick a finger in boiled water. For that reason 120C is bearable in saunas. For a short period of time though
have you ever been in a 120°C sauna? It's not that bad ... if you can leave after 15 minutes ;)