Climate plays a large role in lifestyle and work habits. The heat of the summer sun grows intense in the early afternoon hour in the countries of southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. For the reason, people often take afternoon breaks of one or two hours in July and August. People use this time to perform errands, such as shopping, or even take short naps before returning to work until about 7 or 8 p.m. Companies doing business in these regions must adapt to this local tradition. Production schedules, for instance, must be adjusted to allow for hours during which machines stand idle. Shipping and receiving schedules must also reflect afternoon downtime and accommodate shipments made later in the day.