A practical hot-weather plan for your household

Check the forecast and think about which parts of your home receive the most sun. Close curtains, blinds or shutters early on windows facing direct sunlight, and identify the coolest room you could use during the hottest part of the day.

Put drinks somewhere easy to reach, charge essential phones, and make sure fans or other cooling equipment are ready. If you take regular medication, follow its storage instructions and do not change or stop it without medical advice.

If you care for someone else, agree when you will call or visit. A plan is especially useful for people who live alone, older people, babies and young children, pregnant people, and anyone with a condition that makes it harder to cope with heat.

Try to do errands, exercise and demanding household jobs during the cooler parts of the day. Wear loose, light clothing, seek shade when outside and take water with you.

Keep sun-facing windows and curtains closed while the outside air is hotter than the room. Turn off lights and equipment you do not need, and avoid adding unnecessary heat by cooking at the hottest time.

If a room becomes uncomfortable, move to a cooler part of the home rather than waiting until you feel unwell. A public building or shaded outdoor space may also offer relief if you can travel there safely.

Open windows when the air outside feels cooler than indoors and it is safe to do so. Opening windows on different sides of a home can help air move through, but close them again if rain, noise, security or outdoor air quality becomes a problem.

A fan can improve comfort by moving air, but it does not cool the room itself. UKHSA advises using electric fans when the air temperature is below 35°C and avoiding aiming one continuously straight at your body.

For sleep, use lighter bedding, keep water nearby and consider a cool shower or damp cloth before bed. If one room stays cooler, it may be worth moving there for the night.

A quick, specific check-in is more useful than asking only whether someone is fine. Ask whether they have drinks, shade, food, essential medication and a cooler place to go.

Offer practical help where you can: close blinds, refill water, move a chair to a cooler room, or help arrange a safe trip to a cooler building. A morning check-in may not be enough if the hottest weather is expected later.

Pets, plants and outdoor equipment may need attention too, but do not put yourself at risk by doing chores in the hottest part of the day.

Heat exhaustion can cause tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, heavy sweating, cramps, thirst and pale or clammy skin. Move the person to a cool place, remove unnecessary clothing, give fluids if they can drink safely, and cool their skin.

NHS advice says someone with heat exhaustion should start to improve within 30 minutes. Call 999 if they remain unwell after that or show signs of heatstroke, including confusion, a seizure, loss of consciousness, very hot skin or fast breathing.

A good hot-weather plan is not about predicting every detail. It is about reducing heat early, making the cooler parts of the day work for you and knowing who may need a practical check-in.