Summer safety

What is a heatwave?

A heatwave is when the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 days. This is compared to the local climate and past weather.
It takes more than a high daily maximum temperature to make a heatwave. It's also about how much it cools down overnight.

Cooler nights allow some recovery from each day's heat. A high overnight temperature can mean that the next day heats up quickly. There may be more hours of extreme heat.

In heatwaves, hot nights make it harder to recover from the heat of the day. This puts more stress on the body.

Did you know?

• Heatstroke has an 80% fatality rate.
• 374 excess deaths in 2009 due to the Jan/Feb heatwave
• Heatwaves cause more deaths than any other weather-related disaster in Australia.

Extreme heat or heatwaves are a period of unusually hot weather that cause people to become ill from heat-stress or heatstroke – which can be fatal.

Extreme heat can affect everyone, however those most at risk are older people, young children, and people with a medical condition. Extreme heat can also affect community infrastructure (such as power supply and public transport) and other services.

A heatwave warning consists of 4 maps covering 4 three-day periods, extending out to 3 days in the future.

The warning includes:

• Expected maximum and minimum temperatures.
• When the heatwave will peak and/or ease.
• A list of affected towns and communities within the warning area.
• Action statements in heatwave warnings

The warnings include five sets of action statements that match the heatwave severity. These have been agreed with our partner health and emergency service agencies across Australia.

Our heatwave warnings complement heat health messages provided by state and territory agencies.

A heat health warning notifies the community, local governments, hospitals, health and community services of the risk and likely impact on people's health.

The Chief Health Officer may also issue a heat health warning when they consider forecast temperatures pose a health risk for example a single day of extremely high temperatures.

Anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, but those most at risk are:

• People over 65 years of age, particularly those living alone or without air conditioning.
• Babies and young children.
• Pregnant women.
• People who are breastfeeding.
• People with particular health conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, etc.
• People taking certain medications - as some side effects may impair their body’s ability to lose heat.

Elderly people are more susceptible to heat-related illness because their body may not adjust well to sudden or prolonged temperature change. They are also more likely to have a chronic medical condition and be taking medication that may interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature.

Factors that increase the risk of heat-related illness in older people include:

• Self-care ability.
• Level of independence.
• Living alone.
• Physical changes including producing less sweat.
• Chronic medical problems.
• Use of medication.
• Kidney and heart problems.

Remember your pets in the heat. Ensure they have a cool space to rest and plenty of water. 

Keeping cool at home 

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Close doors to unused areas of your home.
• Close window coverings, curtains, and blinds early to keep the sun out.
• Open some windows and doors to vent your home when a cool change comes through.
• Use fans before air conditioning. Turn fans on first, then if you have air conditioning, use air conditioning with the fans to keep your skin cool.
• Keep yourself cool by placing wet facecloths or towels on your forehead, wrists, and feet.
• Plan meals that don’t require an oven.
• Remember to check on your elderly or frail neighbours.

Read more tips on keeping your home cool

You can visit our libraries and community hubs during staffed hours.

View the list of library locations.

Hubs:
Aspendale Gardens Community Service
Chelsea Activity Hub
Cheltenham Community Centre
Clarinda Community Centre
Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre
Longbeach Place Inc.
Mordialloc Community Centre
Mordialloc Neighbourhood House
Patterson Lakes Community Centre
Sundowner Community Centre
Westall Community Hub

• Inform your electricity retailer ASAP if you require life support equipment.
• Keep a physical list of essential contacts.
• Prepare portable battery chargers, batteries, and alternative lighting.
• Have bottled water and non-perishable food ready.
• Use a solar battery where you can.
• Ensure you have a torch, fully charged mobile phone, a battery-operated radio, and some spare batteries.
• Stock up on medications and other essential items
• Consider a battery-operated or handheld fan to assist with cooling.
• Turn off appliances and devices at the wall if power goes out.

Secure your home over the holiday season if you are going away for an extended period.

• Have someone take care of your bins and mail
• Let your trusted neighbours know or have someone check in your home
• If possible, keep a car in the driveway
• Put your spare key away
• Lock up your doors and windows.

Read more tips on keeping your home safe

Stay safe at the beach by finding the cool patrolled spots, check the weather vibes, learn to spot rip currents, and be in the know. Have fun times and zero worries this summer.

Pools and spas at home are great fun over the summer but they are not risk free. Remain ever vigilant and make sure you’re always watching!

 If you’re a local, you probably love the water just as much as we do and know how important it is to swim safely – but your visiting family and friends might not. Please help share these important water safety messages:  

• Swim between the red and yellow flags at a beach patrolled by lifesavers. 
• Be aware of conditions, read safety signs and prepare by refreshing your swimming and water safety skills.
• Know your own capabilities and plan for what you need to do to stay safe - including swimming with others/an observer.
• Be aware of the impact of medication and pre-existing health conditions around water.
• Understand the impact of wind on flotation and recreational devices – blow-up shapes and paddleboards can get swept out quickly.
• Avoid alcohol when swimming or supervising around water.

Extreme weather events can happen anytime, anywhere, and sometimes without warning, posing safety risks to people, animals, property and business.

There are simple steps you can take to plan ahead and help protect yourself, the people you love and the things you value.

 You can prepare by:

• Write an emergency plan and pack your essentials
• cleaning your gutters and drains 
• trimming over-hanging branches and trees 
• making sure your roof is in good repair
• securing items around your home e.g., trampolines, outdoor furniture, play equipment, gardening tools, etc.