I lived in Melbourne during the heatwave that led to the Black Saturday fires in 2009. In the city all the leaves fell from the trees that morning as temperatures nudged 50.
We lived in a small flat with A/C, so kept a bath of cold water full and would sit in that when it got too much and then just drip dry.
Wearing a wet tshirt to bed was another thing.
In Queensland now we keep ice packs in the freezer. My kids regularly take them to bed as pillows/cold water bottles.
When my wife was in labour with the second child it was mid 40s and I was following her around the house with ice packs and a fan. She hates hospitals so was trying desperately to avoid going until the last possible moment.