Heatwaves

Heatwaves

What is a heatwave?

A heatwave is when the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 days. This is compared to the local climate and past weather. It takes more than a high daily maximum temperature to make a heatwave. It’s also about how much it cools down overnight.

Heatwaves kill far more people than natural disasters like bushfires, cyclones and floods. Adequate preparation is essential, especially for people at high risk: the elderly, babies, young children, people with health and mobility problems.

Outdoor activities may need to be adjusted or rescheduled to another time when weather conditions are more suitable.

Before a heatwave

  • Learn about the Heatwave warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology. Make a plan for what you will do for each level of warning, low level, severe, extreme.
  • Talk to the doctor about how the heat might affect you, particularly about your medications. Store medicines safely at the recommended temperature.
  • Look at the things you can do to make your home cooler such as installing awnings or shade cloths, or cooling units. Service air conditioning or fan units
  • Check the forecast. This will help you prepare ahead for shopping and scheduling appointments. Stock up on food, water and medicines.
  • Think about how extreme heat affects you, both your physical and your mental health.
  • Ensure your pets are also well hydrated and have plenty of shade when they are outside.
  • Identify your support network. Include people who can help you get things you need during and after a heatwave. This could be family, friends, neighbours or a carer.
  • Write down your important numbers (doctors, support network)
  • Keep in touch with friends, neighbours and relatives, particularly if they’re unwell or isolated.

Source: Australian Red Cross

During a heatwave

Stay cool

  • Stay indoors: keep out of the heat if you can.
  • If you need to go outside, wear light clothing and a hat, put on sunscreen, wear sunglasses and take water with you. Sunburn will affect your body’s ability to cope with the heat.
  • Do daily activities like shopping and gardening early in the day or ask someone to help you.
  • Draw blinds and awnings early in the day.
  • Turn your air-conditioner and fans on before the room heats up
  • Take cool showers and splash yourself several times a day with cold water, or use a damp cloth.
  • Go to an air-conditioned building in your local area to cool off: a shopping mall, community centre, cinema, library or swimming pool.

Drink plenty of water

  • Even when you don’t feel thirsty, drink plenty of water.
  • Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee and sugary or fizzy drinks. They make dehydration worse.
  • Eat small meals more often, rather than large meals. And eat more cold food like salads and fruit.

Check on family, friends, neighbours

  • Keep a close eye on those most at risk, like the sick, the elderly and the young. Do this at an arranged time at least twice a day.
  • Look after your pets. Make sure your pets have plenty of shade and enough cool water to last the entire day. Putting ice cubes in their bowl will help keep their water cool for longer. Check on them regularly.
  • Don’t leave children or pets in parked vehicles. Ever. For any period of time.

Get Help

If you or someone you know shows signs of heat stroke (fits, confusion, staggering), call 000 immediately. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency and can cause a person to collapse or fall unconscious. Here are some tips on how to identify the signs and symptoms of heatstroke and heat exhaustion and what you should do.

If you or someone you know feels as though the heat is affecting your mental health, (feeling more anxious, having disturbing thoughts), seek help. Seek help from caregivers, or crisis lines (Lifeline 13 11 14) if the situation becomes challenging to manage.

Source: Australian Red Cross

You should continue to check on family, friends and neighbours, particularly those most at risk.

It’s also important that you keep drinking water regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

Also, be careful around trees — they often drop limbs when it is hot.

Heatwave Forecast Services

The Heatwave Warning Service from the Bureau of Meteorology will provide a public warning that a heat hazard is forecast within the next 4 days and help Australians to prepare for and lessen the impacts of a heatwave event.

Warnings will be sent to Health and Emergency Management agencies and issued through the Bureau of Meteorology website and Bureau’s Weather App (BoM Weather App) and telephone service.

The warnings will include 5 sets of action statements agreed with our partner health and emergency service agencies across Australia, that align to the severity of the heatwave to help the community understand and prepare for heatwave situations.

The heatwave warnings issued by the Bureau will be complemented with heat health messages provided by state and territory agencies.

The Heatwave Forecast Service consists of a panel of five maps across Australia for the next five three-day periods. Each map shows areas where heatwave conditions are forecast to occur and also indicate whether their intensity is expected to reach severe or extreme status.

Note

  • Agencies work together to issue alerts for heatwaves, so the agency issuing the alerts will vary.
  • Be on the lookout for alerts related to heat health (generally issued by the Chief Health Officer), extreme heat or about transport disruptions.
  • The Bureau of Meteorology now forecasts heatwaves between the start of November and the end of March using maps showing colour-coded heatwave severity for the previous two three-day periods and the next five three-day periods.
  • Your local doctor, hospital or health professional is a source of advice if in doubt.
  • All life-threatening situations should be reported by calling 000

Useful Links

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