Long hot summers are wonderful – we can stay at home,
enjoy the sunshine and spend lots of time outside. But a long spell
of hot sunny weather can bring problems for some people.
Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young or
very old or those with chronic disease, eg asthma. Hot weather can
cause heat exhaustion in people and animals. Although the weather
can be unpredictable, we expect to see hotter drier summers in the
future.
What you can do to help yourself
For information on staying safe in the sun and sunbathing:
- Smart
sunbathing from Direct.gov.
- Older people and children are particularly at
risk from heat exhaustion and heatstroke. For information about
spotting the signs of heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration,
visit the NHS Choices website.
- Heatwave information from nhs.co.uk.
Keeping you and your family safe in hot weather
For information on:
- Being prepared for hot weather.
- Keeping cool during hot weather.
- Keeping the house cool.
- Taking extra care with food.
- Bins and waste.
- Looking after pets.
- Fire Safety in hot weather.
Visit Direct.gov.
Using water sensibly
It’s important to use water sensibly so that
there’s enough water for us all to use. Using water, especially hot
water, also uses energy and increases emissions of greenhouse gases
contributing to climate change. During a drought situation it's
even more important to make sure that water is used efficiently and
not wasted.
For tips on saving water in your home and
garden, please read the Environment Agency's (EA) guide on
how you
can save water.
Plant trees
When it’s hot it’s wonderful to sit under the shade of a tree.
Trees provide real breathing space for us all, and in urban
centres, native trees help to reduce air temperatures, provide
shelter and capture air pollutants, keeping built-up areas cooler
and cleaner. As the climate changes, trees and woodland can play an
increasingly important role. In urban areas, they can help reduce
what is known as the ‘urban heat island effect’, when town and city
centres have a higher temperature than the surrounding countryside.
For more information about planting trees, please read information
from the
Woodland Trust.
Gardening
In hot and dry weather, water used outdoors
can amount to 50 per cent of total UK usage. It is still possible,
however, to have a beautiful and productive garden using less
water. Find out what you can do to make the most of rainwater, and
reduce the amount of mains water you use: