Summer brings us the joys of warm weather and time spent outside with friends and family.
Whilst we all like a bit of sunshine, it’s important to stay safe and avoid sunburn or heat exhaustion, especially for anyone working or spending time outdoors in the heat.
In this blog, we share some ‘heatwave hacks’ to help you keep your cool as the temperatures rise:
Stay hydrated
Make sure you’re drinking regularly throughout the day, avoiding caffeine and alcohol as these can cause dehydration. Keeping a jug of water in the fridge is a great way to keep your water cool and avoid waste from leaving the tap running.
Close your curtains
Keeping the blinds or curtains closed of windows in direct sunlight is a great way to stop hot air from coming in and keeping rooms cool, creating a shady spot for you to get away from the heat.
Wear light coloured clothing
Lighter colours reflect heat better, so avoid the dark colours and wear light airy fabrics to stay cool, a wide brimmed hat is also a great way of keeping your head cool. Remember, if you have skin exposed then make sure you use suncream.
Use suncream
Use a high factor suncream to protect your skin for when you can’t avoid the direct sun. It should be reapplied every two hours, after swimming, and if you have been sweating.
Avoid being outside during the hottest hours
You should try to avoid being out in the sun between 11am and 3pm, which are seen to be the hottest parts of the day.
Signs of overheating
If you have been out in the sun and you feel dizzy, have a headache, feel sick or your pulse is raised, you may be experiencing heat exhaustion.
It is important that you take the steps to cool down to prevent this getting worse.
- Move to a cool place
- Lie down and raise your feet
- Drink plenty of cold water
- Cool your skin with water or cold packs
Call 999 if this continues to get worse, as you may be experiencing heat stroke.
The NHS has guidance on how to cope in hot weather: Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Following the above guidance should help you take care of yourself during warm weather.
Enjoy the sun and stay safe!