A household heatwave plan for the next three days
A heat plan is mainly about changing routines, keeping suitable water available and knowing where to find a cooler safe environment.
Heat & drought
Plan for hot homes, disrupted water and changing summer conditions.
Keeping a top-floor flat cooler during hot weather
A top-floor home can retain heat and offer limited ventilation choices.
When should you open windows in a heatwave?
Opening every window is not always a cooling strategy.
Choosing a fan for hot weather: understand its limits
A fan can be useful within suitable conditions, but buying a larger one does not guarantee protection from severe heat.
Preparing the bedroom for a hot night
A hot bedroom can make rest difficult and may be unsafe for people at greater risk from heat.
Agreeing a heatwave check-in with an older neighbour
Heat support works best when it is welcome, specific and planned.
Hot-weather preparation when you have a baby
Babies need care suited to their age and feeding arrangements.
A hot-weather plan for pets without risky shortcuts
Pets can overheat in settings that feel merely uncomfortable to people.
Emergency water reserves during hot weather
An emergency water reserve is a planning tool for disrupted supplies, not a personalised drinking prescription.
No-cook meals for a hot day at home
A no-cook meal can reduce avoidable kitchen heat, but chilled food still needs safe storage.
Planning a hot-weather commute on public transport
Heat can make waiting, crowding and unexpected delays harder to manage.
Working from home when the room is too hot
Home working still needs a suitable environment.
Outdoor work in hot weather: raise the plan before the shift
Outdoor heat needs work-specific controls, including the task, duration, clothing and individual needs.
Medicine storage during a hot spell: ask the pharmacist early
Medicines have their own storage instructions, and a hot room or power cut can make those instructions difficult to follow.
A power cut during hot weather: prepare a cooling fallback
An outage can remove fans, refrigeration and other familiar supports just when rooms are hottest.
Heat-Health Alerts and extreme-heat warnings: read both properly
Heat information can describe different kinds of impact.
A practical sun-protection bag for unexpected delays
A delayed bus or changed day out can mean more time outside than planned.
Heat illness: prepare to get help rather than diagnose online
Feeling unwell during hot weather deserves attention.
Wildfire prevention belongs in a summer preparedness plan
Dry vegetation can turn an ordinary spark or flame into a serious incident.
When wildfire smoke and hot weather affect the same home
General advice to ventilate for heat can conflict with instructions to keep smoke out.
Drought restrictions: check your water company's actual notice
A drought announcement and a restriction on a particular water use are different things.
Finding a cooler public place before the hottest day
A cooler venue can be part of a heat plan if it is open, suitable and safely reachable.
Parked vehicles are not heatwave waiting rooms
A stationary car can become dangerously hot quickly.
Preparing for extreme heat on a European holiday
A holiday changes the building, language, transport and healthcare arrangements you normally rely on.
A summer home audit after the heat has passed
The end of a hot spell is a good time to record what made the home difficult to use.