HEAT kills more Australians than any other natural disaster, and extreme heat can affect anybody.
Those more at-risk include people over the age of 65, babies and young children, pregnant women, people with acute or chronic health problems and people who are socially isolated.
Heat can cause serious and potentially fatal health problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, trigger sudden events like heart attack or stroke, or worsen existing medical conditions like kidney or lung disease.
Hot weather and strong winds can heighten the risk of bushfires, so having an evacuation kit ready to go can save you and your family critical time in seeking safety.
Take steps to protect yourself and others by keeping cool, staying hydrated, planning ahead and checking in with others.
Learn the early symptoms of heat-related health problems so you can take crucial action quickly.
Stay cool
• Use air conditioning or a fan.
• Wear light and loose-fitting clothing.
• Keep skin wet, using a spray bottle or damp sponge.
• Take cool showers or foot baths in cool tap water.
• Wrap ice cubes in a damp towel and drape around your neck.
• Block heat from entering your home with blinds or curtains. Open windows and doors if you think it is hotter indoors than outdoors.
• Consider spending some time in a cool place such as an air-conditioned shopping centre or public library.
• Avoid vigorous physical activity.
• Consider pet safety. If they are outside, make sure they have plenty of cool water and access to comfortable shade. Asphalt and dark pavement can be very hot to your pet’s feet.
• Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day.
Stay hydrated
During extreme heat, keep drinking fluids before you feel thirsty, especially if outdoors and performing physical activity.
• Whenever you leave home, always take a water bottle with you.
• Watch for signs of dehydration like feeling thirsty, lightheaded, having a dry mouth, tiredness, having dark-coloured, strong-smelling urine or passing less urine than usual.
• If your doctor normally limits your fluids, check how much you should drink during hot weather.
• Leave a shallow dish of water out for heat-exhausted wildlife, away from your house.
Stay connected
A quick call can make a big difference. Let family, friends and neighbours know you are OK or check in with those at increased risk or who may need your support during days of extreme heat.
People more at-risk include:
• Those over the age of 65
• Young children and babies
• Pregnant women
• People with acute or chronic health problems
• People who are socially isolated.
Stay prepared
When heat-proofing your home:
• Cover windows with drapes or shades.
• Weather-strip doors and windows.
• Use window reflectors specifically designed to reflect heat back outside.
• Do not rely on a fan as your primary cooling device. Fans create air flow and a false sense of comfort, but do not reduce body temperature or prevent heat-related illnesses.When planning outdoor activities:
• Cancel or reschedule activities for a cooler time of the day.
• Monitor the weather forecast and warnings via TV or radio.
• Monitor Bureau of Meteorology Heatwave warnings online or subscribe using the Bureau’s app.
• Subscribe online to receive the Department of Health’s Heat Health Warnings
When planning for a bushfire:
• Pack essential supplies ahead of time including food, water, first aid kits, torches and space batteries and chargers. Identify irreplaceable items and have them in your kit to take with you.
• Ensure phones and battery packs are fully charged
• Close all unnecessary apps in the background and use power-saving mode on phones to extend device battery life.
• Back-up your data to cloud services to avoid losing important personal photos and data.
• Have emergency phone numbers saved on your phone and written down.
• Know the location of your local evacuation centre and emergency meeting spots along with the different ways to get there if roads are blocked during a disaster.
• Inform family or friends outside of the impacted area before a weather event hits, including letting them know of your plans and exact location.
• Teach children when and how to call important phone numbers like 000.
• Make sure the children have an emergency contact person and know how to reach them.
Heat-related health concerns
Know the signs of heat-related health problems.
Heat can cause serious and potentially fatal health problems such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, can trigger sudden events like heart attack or stroke or can worsen existing medical conditions like kidney or lung disease.
Certain people are more at-risk, including people over the age of 65, babies and young children, pregnant women, people with acute or chronic health problems and people who are socially isolated.
If you need medical advice or someone you know is unwell, call Nurse-on-Call on 1300 60 60 24 for 24-hour health advice, see your doctor or contact Virtual Emergency Care – for non-life-threatening emergencies.
In an emergency, always call Triple Zero 000.
Heat cramps
Symptoms
• Muscle pains
• Spasms in the abdomen, arms or legs
What to do
• Stop activity and sit in a cool place
• Drink cool water
• Rest a few hours before returning to activity
• See a doctor if cramps persist
Heat exhaustion
Symptoms
• Sweating
• Pale complexion
• Rapid pulse
• Muscle cramps, weakness
• Dizziness, headache
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fainting
What to do
• Go to a cool area and lie down
• Fan if possible
• Drink cool water if not vomiting
• Remove outer clothing
• Wet skin with cool water or wet cloths
• See a doctor or call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance
Heat stroke
Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency – call 000
Symptoms
• Very high body temperature
• Red, hot, dry skin (no sweating)
• Dry swollen tongue
• Rapid pulse
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting
• Collapse
• Seizure
• Loss of consciousness
What to do
If someone you are with develops heatstroke:
• Immediately call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance.
• While waiting for emergency medical help, get the person to a cool shady area and lay them down.
• Remove excess clothing and wet their skin with water or wrap in wet cloths, fanning continuously.
• Give the person cool water to drink if conscious and able to swallow. Otherwise, do not give the person fluids to drink.
• Position an unconscious person on their side and ensure they are breathing normally. If needed, perform CPR
• Monitor their body temperature where possible and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops below 38 °C. Recommence cooling efforts if their temperature begins to rise again.
• Wait for the ambulance to transport the person to hospital, where more intensive cooling and support can be given.
• Seek further instructions from Triple Zero, ambulance or hospital emergency staff, while waiting for the ambulance.
