Keeping safe at home in hot weather
Hot weather can cause heat exhaustion in people and animals. Also, bacteria on food and rubbish develop more quickly in the heat. Find out how to stay safe around the home in hot weather, including keeping cool and taking extra care with food and waste.
The Met Office issues ‘heat-health watch’ warnings when there’s a risk of high temperatures in England and Wales for more than two days in a row. These warnings help health services and members of the public prepare for health problems caused by hot weather, like heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Listen to your local weather forecast so you know when hot weather is predicted. You can also check the Met Office website for the latest heat-health watch warnings.
When it’s hot, you can keep cool and reduce the risk of heat exhaustion by:
- stocking up on supplies like medicines, food and non-alcoholic drinks, so you won’t have to go out in the heat
- organising your day to avoid being outside during the hottest time (11.00 am to 3.00 pm), if possible
- doing strenuous outdoor activities, like DIY or gardening, during cooler parts of the day, like early morning
- taking cold showers or baths and splashing yourself often with cold water
- drinking plenty of fluids, like juice or water – avoid coffee and alcohol
- if you have to go out, wearing a hat and light, loose-fitting clothing, taking plenty of water with you and keeping to the shade
Older people and children are particularly at risk from heat exhaustion and heatstroke and will need extra attention. For information about spotting the signs of heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration, visit the NHS Choices website.
Stay inside the coolest rooms in your house as much as possible. These are probably the rooms that get little sun during the day. To help keep all rooms in your house cool, you can:
- close pale-coloured curtains – closing dark curtains and metal blinds can make rooms hotter
- keep windows closed when it’s hotter outside than inside, but open them if the room gets too hot
- open windows at night when the air is cooler – but close ground floor windows when you leave the house or go to bed
Your pets and other animals can suffer heatstroke in hot weather if they don’t keep cool. Never leave animals inside a car on a hot day and make sure they have:
- plenty of clean, fresh water to drink
- a cool and shady place to rest
It’s also important to cover pet food dishes to prevent flies laying eggs on the food.
Contact a vet if you are worried that an animal is suffering from heatstroke. More information about looking after dogs in hot weather is on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) website.
During hot and dry weather, avoid bonfires and be extra careful with barbecues. Dry ground in the summer increases the risk of fire. See ‘Fire safety – barbecues, camping and the outdoors’ for advice.