Heatwave checklist
For houses built to keep heat in. The single most useful habit is in the first group: shut the house up during the day and open it at night, not the other way round.
36 items
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
The items
- The night before
- Open everything once the outside is cooler than the inside
- Fans set to pull cool air in, not push warm air round
- Freeze water bottles for tomorrow
- Cook anything that needs the oven now, or not at all
- Charge phones and any battery fan
- Move plants out of full sun
- During the day
- Close windows, curtains and blinds on the sunny side
- Keep internal doors shut to trap the cool rooms
- Avoid the oven — cold food or a single-pan meal
- Drink before you feel thirsty
- Stay out of direct sun between the middle hours
- Sun cream, reapplied properly
- Hats for anyone outside
- Cool wrists and the back of the neck with cold water
- Sleeping
- Sleep in the coolest room, even if it is not your bed
- A single cotton sheet instead of a duvet
- A damp flannel or a cool shower before bed
- Frozen bottle at the foot of the bed
- Fan aimed across the room rather than at your face
- People and animals
- Check on older neighbours living alone, in person
- Extra water for pets, in more than one place
- Never leave anyone or any animal in a carNot for two minutes. A parked car reaches dangerous temperatures faster than people expect.
- Watch babies and small children for signs of overheating
- Shade and water in the garden for birds
- Check medicines that must be stored below a certain temperature
- Practical
- Water the garden at dawn or dusk, not midday
- Keep the fridge and freezer doors shut
- Do not leave chargers or laptops in the sun
- Fire risk: no barbecues near dry grass
- Plan travel for the early morning
- Water and a hat in the car
Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.
Questions people ask
- How do I keep a house cool without air conditioning?
- Close windows, curtains and blinds during the day on the sunny side, and open everything once the outside air is cooler than the inside — usually late evening.
- Who should be checked on in a heatwave?
- Older neighbours living alone, anyone with a heart or breathing condition, babies, and anyone working outside. Check in person or by phone, not by message.