Heat related illnesses can be mild to severe, ranging from heat stress, to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can rapidly become life threatening. Older women are particularly vulnerable to heat exhaustion.
We produce sweat to cool our bodies, but when humidity is high, this doesn’t work as well. Then heart, kidneys, and other organs function less efficiently.
Extreme heat kills more people than fires, floods and other extreme weather events.
Prepare
- Watch the long-range weather forecast on TV, radio or a weather app to plan the day / week. Check humidity too.
- Check fans and air-conditioner – clean AC filter
- Put cold water in the fridge. Make cool packs and ice cubes
- Close windows, blinds and curtains early in the morning to keep the cool air inside, then opened again in the evening when the temperature falls.
- Exercise outside early in the morning or in the evening and stop when hot.
Action
- Turn on air-conditioning or go to air-conditioned buildings close to home – library, gym, shopping centre, theatre, public institutions
- Wear a hat, loose fitting clothing and sandals if going outside, and put on sunscreen
- Drink plenty of cool water – take a water bottle everywhere you go
- Take an esky bag to the shops
- Store most foods in the fridge
- Stay indoors during the middle of the day
- Have a cool shower
- Watch for signs of heat stress – headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, fainting
- Place damp towels and ice packs over people or pets with heat stress
- No aircon – put on a wet T-shirt – very effective if combined with a fan
- Check pets regularly to ensure they have water. Usually, pets find the coolest place in the house
- Leave water bowls outside in the shade for wildlife
- Plant trees and shrubs for shelter from the western sun
Write a letter to your MP
When heat drives us indoors it is a good time to research, write submissions and letters, create placards, knit, and chat on the phone with friends to make sure they are OK.
Write a letter to your NSW MP about how you cope during heatwaves. Tell them a story about your neighbourhood and what happens during heatwaves to you, others or wildlife – here’s some notes to get you started
- High minimum temperatures at night make it uncomfortable and hard to sleep, waking up tired and exhausted
- Worry about the risks of fires and storms
- Cost of living increases – houses need to be well insulated and have air conditioning, higher health and power costs
- Some people are more impacted than others due to health conditions, living in rental properties, unable to afford fans, air-conditioning or better housing
- Not being able to attend or participate in your favourite sport or other outdoor activity e.g. gardening
List the ways Government can help reduce heat
- Ban dark roofs – they are 10 degrees warmer
- Use light coloured materials on roads and pavements
- Provide benefits to landholders for insulating rental properties, air conditioning, solar panels and batteries
- Provide shelters at bus stops
- Support heat equity with cooling support programs.
- Planning, workplace health and safety, employment, tenancy and housing laws are needed to reduce heatwave harm.
- Stop approving fossil fuel developments that cause heatwaves to become hotter, more frequent and last longer
Write to Councils
Councils can help to cool neighbourhoods by
- Encouraging residents to plant and maintain verge gardens
- Reviewing their tree plan to ensure it will offer the best possible protection in future heat waves.
Summer Survey 2026
Sweltering Cities is collecting data to help us understand how heatwaves impact various people across Australia. They gather ideas from different communities on how to make suburbs cooler, homes safer and what extra support is needed during heatwaves. Please fill in their Summer Survey 26. It only takes about 4 minutes. Closes 28 February.
References
Heat and Health Fact Sheet (Doctors for the Environment)
Heat health in general practice: An evidence-based approach to the prevention of heat-related illness (Australian Journal of General Practice)