Use this guide when hot weather or a heat-health alert is forecast, or before summer starts. Older people, babies and young children, and people with long-term health conditions are most at risk, so plan for them first.
Step by step
Watch the forecast and alerts
Check the weather forecast and heat-health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency and Met Office when hot weather is expected. Plan any unavoidable outdoor activity for the cooler early morning or evening. Avoid being out in the sun during the hottest part of the day.
Keep your home cooler
Close curtains or blinds on windows that get the sun during the day. Open windows when it is cooler outside than inside, such as at night, if it is safe to do so. Switch off lights and electrical appliances you are not using, as they add heat.
Find the coolest room
Identify the coolest room in your home and use it during the hottest part of the day and for sleeping if possible. A fan can help, but it is less useful when the air is very hot. Keep a cool damp cloth and water to hand.
Drink and dress for the heat
Drink plenty of fluids and limit alcohol and caffeine. Wear light, loose clothing, a hat and sunscreen outdoors. Eat cold foods with high water content such as salads and fruit.
Check on others
Contact older relatives, neighbours who live alone and anyone who is unwell, at least once a day during a heatwave. Never leave children, vulnerable adults or pets in a parked car. Store medicines as the packaging says, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure how the heat may affect medicines.
Know the warning signs
Signs of heat exhaustion include headache, dizziness, feeling sick, heavy sweating, cramps and fast breathing. Move the person somewhere cool, have them lie down with feet raised, give water and cool their skin; they should improve within about 30 minutes. Call 999 if they do not improve, become confused, stop sweating while very hot, have a seizure or lose consciousness, as these may be signs of heatstroke.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Heat-health alerts checked
- Sun-facing curtains closed in the day
- Coolest room identified
- Water and fluids available
- Light clothing, hat and sunscreen ready
- Vulnerable relatives and neighbours contacted
- Medicine storage checked
- Heat exhaustion and heatstroke signs known
Practical tips
- Fill a bottle of water in the fridge each evening so there is always a cold drink ready.
- Take a cool shower or splash water on your face and neck to cool down quickly.
- Swimming in open water can be dangerous even on hot days, so use lifeguarded places and supervise children closely.
Common problems
The bedroom is too hot to sleep in.
Close curtains during the day, open windows at night if safe, and use light cotton bedding. Sleep in a cooler room downstairs if possible. A damp cloth on the skin or a cool shower before bed can help.
An older relative says they are fine and will not drink more.
Offer drinks they enjoy regularly and foods with high water content, and visit or call more often. Look for signs such as confusion, drowsiness or less passing of urine. Contact NHS 111 if you are worried, or 999 if they become very unwell.
My medicines say store below 25 degrees and my home is hotter.
Keep them in the coolest place in the home, away from direct sunlight. Ask your pharmacist for advice about storage and whether the medicine is still safe to use. Do not stop taking prescribed medicines without advice.