Hot Weather
Hot weather can be enjoyable, but it can also have serious risks to your health if you’re not prepared.
This page provides practical and useful advice to help you stay safe during hot weather. From staying hydrated, to recognising the signs of heat-related illness, you’ll find simple steps you can take to protect yourself and others.
By taking a few sensible precautions, you can enjoy the warmer weather while keeping everyone safe.
Tips to stay safe in the hot weather
Heat-health alerts mean that we can expect increasing temperatures and humidity.
Here are some simple tips to help you and your family stay safe during hot weather:
- Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water and non-alcoholic fluids
- Stay in the shade and cover up – keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when the sun’s rays are strongest. If you need to go out, try to stay in the shade, and wear a hat
- Use sunscreen of at least SPF 30 and reapply – apply sunscreen before going out in the sun, and every 2 hours whilst you are out in the sun
- Close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
- Check in on vulnerable family and friends – keep an eye on over 75s, people who live on their own or in a care home, people with a long-term or serious illness, infants, people who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places (because of their job or where they live) and anyone else who may be more vulnerable to the heat
- Be aware that heat can worsen certain health conditions. Be extra cautious and seek medical advice if needed. Some medications may also affect tolerance to hot weather
- The most common illnesses caused by heat are heat exhaustion, heatstroke, heat rash, sunburn, dizziness and/or fainting. Be aware of the symptoms of these conditions so you can look out for them in your family and friends
- Keep food safety in mind while the weather is hot. Whether cooking at home, having a BBQ or even a picnic, practise good food hygiene. Warm weather creates ideal conditions for bacteria, so ensure you follow food safety guidelines. The Food Standards Agency have more information about cooking food safely.
- If needed, seek medical advice by calling NHS 111, or contact 999 in a life-threatening emergency
Know your sunscreen
There are two really important things to look out for on the label when buying sunscreen:
- A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against UVB
- At least 4-star UVA protection
Sunscreen also has an expiry date, so check the open‑jar symbol when you buy the sunscreen to see how many months it lasts after opening. You can tell this by looking at the symbol of an open jar, an M and a number, which shows how many months the sunscreen will last once it’s been opened.
If you plan to go outside in the sun, sunscreen needs to be applied multiple times:
- 30 minutes before going out
- Just before going out
- Every 2 hours while you are out in the sun
For more information about sunscreen and sun safety, visit the NHS website.
How to treat sunburn
If you have sunburn:
- Sponge sore skin with cool water or have a cool bath or shower
- Apply soothing aftersun cream or spray, like aloe vera
- Take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, as they will ease the pain by helping to reduce inflammation caused by sunburn
- Stay out of the sun until all signs of redness have gone
Please ensure you seek medical help if you feel unwell or the skin swells badly or blisters.
For more information about how to care for sunburnt skin, visit the NHS website.
Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes. If it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.
Heat Exhaustion
Symptoms include:
- tiredness
- weakness
- feeling faint
- headache
- muscle cramps
- feeling or being sick
- heavy sweating
- intense thirst
Heat exhaustion usually doesn’t need medical attention if you cool down within 30 minutes, but failing to act can lead to heatstroke.
Heat Stroke
Symptoms include:
- confusion
- lack of co-ordination
- fast heartbeat
- fast breathing
- shortness of breath
- hot skin (that is not sweating)
- seizures
If someone has these symptoms call NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency and start cooling their body immediately while waiting for help.
Water Safety
- It may be tempting to cool down in hot weather, but cold-water shock kills.
- Be safe and follow local safety advice if you are going to cool down in open water (sea/river/lake). Be prepared by following water safety advice from the Royal Life Saving Society UK.
- Don’t allow children to play near water without an adult present.
Did you know?!
- On average, 6 – 8 teaspoons of sunscreen is needed to properly cover and protect an adult body
- 11am – 3pm is the hottest time of the day, from March until October. This is the time when the sun is the strongest, and it is advised that you should stay out of direct sunlight and in the shade, or inside, as much as possible during this time
- Some medications may also affect tolerance to hot weather. Check any tablets you take regularly to check if you are more at risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion