Staying safe during the heat

Social graphic featuring a toddler drinking water from a flip-top bottle, captioned: 'Look out for people who might struggle to keep cool'.

With warm weather forecast to develop more widely from early next week, the UK’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is encouraging those who struggle to cope in the heat to take precautions.

At this time of year most of us look forward to some warm, sunny weather and the chance to spend time outdoors and by taking a few simple steps, we can all enjoy the hot weather safely and help people who might be more vulnerable as the temperatures rise.

Who is at risk?

Anyone can become unwell when the weather is hot. People who are at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell include:

older people aged 65 years and over
babies and young children aged 5 years and under
people with underlying health conditions particularly heart problems, breathing problems, dementia, diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson’s disease, or mobility problems
pregnant women
people on certain medications
people with serious mental health problems
people who are already ill and dehydrated (for example from diarrhoea and vomiting)
people who experience alcohol or drug dependence
people who are physically active and spend a lot of time outside such as runners, cyclists and walkers
people who work in jobs that require manual labour or extensive time outside
people experiencing homelessness, including rough sleepers and those who are unable to make adaptations to their living accommodation such as sofa surfers or living in hostels.
people who live alone and may be unable to care for themselves

What can we do to stay safe?

There are a few very simple things we can all to do stay safe when we experience high temperatures.

This includes looking out for people who may struggle to keep themselves cool and hydrated. Get in touch with friends, family or neighbours that may need help keeping cool.

Staying cool indoors is important, taking action like closing curtains on rooms that face the sun but also remembering that it may be cooler outdoors than indoors.

And if you’re out and about, try to keep out of the sun and avoid physical exertion in the hottest part of the day.

There’s lots more information online to help you stay safe during hot weather. Visit the UKHSA and NHS websites including their pages on how to beat the heat and on heat exhaustion and heatstroke.