Beat the Heat this Summer

Make a heat emergency plan and kit

To make getting through hot days easy and safe, take the time to create an emergency plan and prepare your home for extreme heat events. Use the below tips as a checklist to help you Beat the Heat this summer.

• Check your air conditioner and fans.
• Install blinds or curtains to cover your windows.
• Stock your fridge and freezer with water, ice cubes, and cool packs.
• Speak with your doctor about whether your medical condition or medications will be affected by heat.
• Make a plan for who to call for help and write down a list of people and phone numbers.
• Power use increases during heatwaves and can lead to power failures and blackouts. Pack an emergency kit with a torch, batteries, radio, and first aid kit. Make sure your car has petrol, your phone is charged, or get a portable charger.
• If your home isn’t safe to stay in during a heatwave, have a plan to go somewhere cool, like a shopping centre, library, or the home of a friend.

Keep yourself cool

Planning ahead is the best thing you can do to keep yourself cool and safe this summer. Our key tips for keeping cool focus on avoiding heat when you can and cooling your body if you’re hot. Cooling your body is faster and more effective than trying to cool a room in your home with air conditioning.

To keep cool, use these tips:

• Plan for high heat days by moving appointments to the early morning.
• Drink plenty of water. Avoid sugary drinks, tea, coffee and alcohol as they can increase your risk of dehydration.
• Avoid strenuous exercise, especially during the hottest parts of the day.
• Wear light-coloured loose clothing when outside.
• Have a cool shower or go for a swim at your local pool or at Lake Parramatta.
• Put wet towels or cool packs on your arms or neck.
• Put your feet into cool water.
• Eat cool foods, like salads or fruit.

Keep your home cool

By keeping an eye on weather forecasts, you can take some small steps to prevent your home from heating up on hot days. Follow these tips to keep comfortable at home this summer:

• Close windows, doors, and blinds in the morning.
• In the evening when temperatures begin to drop, open up windows and doors to allow the cooler air into your home.
• If you have air conditioning, don’t wait until your home is hot to turn it on, but rather aim to keep it at a cool and comfortable temperature. This will help you use less energy.
• Have a designated cool room instead of trying to keep your entire home cool. This could be your bedroom or living room. 
• Start to plan for future summers. Plant and maintain vegetation that provides dense canopy shade. If you only have a small space, consider climbing plants in pots with trellises placed near your windows.
• When building or renovating, use light coloured surfaces for your roofing, external walls and paved areas.

For more ideas for how to change your environment, we recommend you visiting the following sites:

Just like us, our pets can suffer during hot weather and heatwaves. To keep them safe on hot days:

• Make sure they have plenty of water and shade available. Have multiple water bowls in case one is knocked over.
• Bring pets inside if you can.
• Avoid walking dogs or playing outside with them during the hottest part of the day.
• Watch out for symptoms of heat stress. If you think your pet is suffering from heat stroke, call an RSPCA veterinary hospital or your local veterinarian immediately.
• Spray your pet bird with a pump spray bottle (if they like it), or install a bird bath, ensuring they are always supervised.
• Freeze half a bowl of water overnight and add half a bowl of cool water before giving it to your pet.
• For small pets, put a ceramic tile or oven pan in the fridge or freezer for them to lie down on.

Check out more tips to keep your pets safe here:
 

Here in the Western Sydney region, we are really feeling the heat.

Parramatta’s CBD is located 20km west of the coast and it is generally hotter than the Sydney CBD, with hot westerly winds from inland further contributing to our higher temperatures.

Increased temperatures and exposure to extreme heat events pose health risks such as dehydration and overheating. There are groups in our community who are at greater risk of heat-related illnesses such as those with chronic illness, the elderly, and young children.