🌡️ Heat wave: what to do, step by step

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Heat kills more people than any other weather event in Europe. The most vulnerable are older people, babies, pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses.

Open the guide in the app (works offline)

Before

  1. Tick "hot weather" in the calculator: it doubles the drinking water.
  2. Find the coolest room in your home and a nearby air-conditioned place (library, shopping mall, municipal cooling center).

During

  1. Drink water even if you're not thirsty and avoid alcohol and very sugary drinks.
  2. Avoid going out and exerting yourself in the middle of the day. Close blinds and windows during the day and air the house at night.
  3. Never leave anyone (or a pet) in a closed car, not even for a moment.
  4. Call older people who live alone at least once a day.
  5. Heatstroke: very high temperature, hot dry skin, confusion or fainting. Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe, 911 in North America), move the person into the shade and cool them with water.

After

  1. Keep drinking and resting: tiredness and dehydration build up over several days.

What you need for this emergency

See the full kit: 72-hour home kit →

Figures and sources

Other emergencies