Advice to protect yourself from heat stroke and heat illnesses
There’s the typical hot summer weather—and then there are heat waves. Learn more about what heat waves are—and how to stay safe in extreme heat with these 10 helpful tips.
What Are Heat Waves?
A heat wave is a prolonged period of unusually high temperatures in a region. Interestingly, there is no universal definition of “how high.” To be considered a heat wave, the temperatures must be outside the historical averages for a given area.
That said, we often think of a heat wave that typically lasts 2 or 3 (or more) days and is generally 10 degrees or more above average.
Read Next
Heat waves happen when there is trapped air that will feel like the inside of an oven! Usually, the culprit is a high-pressure system that forces air downward. This force prevents air near the ground from rising. The sinking air acts like a cap. It traps warm ground air in place. Without rising air, there was no rain and nothing to prevent the hot air from getting hotter.
What Are Heat-Related Illnesses
Young children, sick people, and the elderly are most susceptible to heat-related illnesses. However, anyone can suffer from a heat-related illness if they over-exert themselves or simply don’t take extreme heat warnings seriously.
While extreme cold is also dangerous, heat waves become life-threatening more quickly if proper precautions are not taken. Heat was responsible for 1,577 deaths in 2021—a 56% increase from 1,012 deaths in 2018.
Heat rash is a minor heat-related illness. We’ve all had swelling in your feet or hands; this is the first signal that it’s too hot and you need to cool down. Get to a cool place and hydrate yourself with cool liquids immediately.
Heat exhaustion is the next stage, which includes dizziness, headaches, and nausea. As well as hydrating quickly, you need to cool the entire body down. Get into A/C as soon as possible and remove clothing. If possible, take a cold shower or bath or jump in a lake. Then turn on a fan so air is blowing on wet skin. If conditions do not improve within a half hour, it’s essential to get to an emergency room.
Heat stroke is severe and an emergency. It’s not common, but if your core body temperature is above 104 degrees, you will become disoriented, confused, and possibly have a seizure. If the body can’t cool down, this can also lead to brain damage, kidney failure, and other serious conditions. A trip to the Emergency Room is critical.
How to Prepare for and Prevent Heat Wave Danger
- Properly install window air conditioners, sealing any cracks and insulating if necessary.
- Check A/C ducts for proper insulation and clean filters.
- Install awnings, blinds, or light-colored drapes and keep them closed to keep sunlight and heat out.
- Upgrade your windows and weather-strip doors to keep heat out and cool air in.
- Make sure your first aid kit is updated and get trained in first aid relief.
- Have a plan for wherever you (and your family members/pets) spend time during a heat wave—home, work, and school—and prepare for power outages. Discuss heat safety precautions with members of your household.
- Check the contents of your emergency disaster kit in case a power outage occurs.
- Be aware of weather forecasts and the upcoming temperature changes.
- It’s not just the high temperature. The heat index is the temperature the body feels when the effects of heat and humidity are combined. See our heat index chart.
- A home generator is the safest and most reliable solution. Power outages are common during heat waves because the need for A/C puts too much pressure on the power grids. A standby generator, however, automatically keeps the A/C running, the lights on, food and medicine from spoiling, and medical devices operating.
10 Tips for Surviving a Heat Wave While It’s Happening
- Stay hydrated with plenty of water—even if you’re not thirsty. Hot weather causes you to sweat, and it’s vital to replenish the lost fluids, or you’ll overheat. Have a water bottle within reach as you go about your day to avoid dehydration.
- NEVER leave children or pets alone in hot vehicles—even for a second. Keep your pets indoors and make sure they have access to a cool space and plenty of water.
- Stay inside during the hottest part of the day (10 A.M. to 4 P.M.) and limit time outside in the Sun. Avoid strenuous activity and postpone outdoor games and events.
- When you’re outdoors, stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Wear a hat or even carry an umbrella.
- Set your air conditioners to a lower temperature and use curtains or blinds to keep direct sunlight out. If A/C is not available, stay indoors on the lowest floor in a well-ventilated area with fans. Keep shades and blinds closed. If you don’t have air conditioners, place a tray or dish of ice in front of a fan, and it’ll help to cool your room quickly.
- If you don’t have a cool home, go to a shopping mall, library, or any place with air conditioning.
- Don’t drink alcohol, sugary soda, coffee, energy drinks, or other caffeinated beverages, as they dehydrate you! That’s the last thing you need during a heat wave.
- Eat small meals and eat more often. Eat food with nutrients (not empty carbs) and higher water content (fruits and vegetables).
- Wear light, loose-fitting, airy, light-colored clothing and a hat made of breathable material. Tight clothing traps heat.
- Check on family and friends who are older or more susceptible, especially if they may have lost A/C. If you or someone you know is experiencing heat-related issues (such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, headaches, muscle cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea), call your doctor.
- If you feel overheated, cool off with wet washcloths on your wrists and neck, or take a cool sponge bath or shower. Carry a cold water bottle spray or cooling facial mist with you, and spritz cold water on your pressure points to bring your body temperature down.
During heat waves, tune in to a NOAA radio station and listen for weather updates from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Too hot at the house? Go to the library or a designated public shelter if your home loses power during periods of extreme heat. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
We hope these tips are helpful during the next heat wave. Print out this list and place it with your First Aid Kit so you’re better prepared when the next heat wave hits.
How do you stay cool when the temperatures skyrocket?
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
I do not do well in heat so I step into a tepid shower and get wet... from head and hair down. Or I go swimming. If I am outside and must water the garden, I hose my own body down too! It all helps. When inside I read and watch good movies on the TV. Or we can have some some groups of people over to sit & talk in the shady parts of our home.
Dishes of regular ice cubes melt quickly and the water usually just gets dumped/wasted unless used to water plants/garden. If have chest freezer or the room in other freezers, freeze large jugs or other big containers of water. Not only do they last longer, work better, but they can be put back in the freezer without wasting water. Just set the frozen jugs on a towel or tray to avoid a pool from the condensation rolling down the sides of the jugs and to keep them off the floor so stay sanitary for going back in the freezer.
Hottest hours of the day vary depending upon location. Our hottest hours typically run from 3 pm to 6 pm MST
Sipping on low sugar or sugar-free sports drinks is advisable, or adding an electrolyte mix to some of your water. If you're drinking a bunch of water and sweating profusely you can deplete your electrolytes and end up with a medical emergency such as hyponatremia (low blood salt).
That's all very well, but what are you supposed to do if your windows won't accommodate an air conditioner? Or if you dislike the things? (Noisy, expensive, hard-to-adjust, inefficient energy-eaters...) All I can manage is to keep 2-3 fans running 24/7 for myself and my cat.
A very useful article, although I thought that the official definition of a "heat wave" was three or more days in a row of 90 degrees or above.
Interestingly, there is no universal definition in terms of “how high.” It’s based on the region and the time of year. Temperatures have to be outside the historical averages for a given area.
For example, an average day in in North Africa near the Mediterranean Sea would be regarded as heat wave conditions in England and Northern Europe.
That said, we often think of a heat wave typically lasting two or three days or more—and generally 10 degrees or more above average.
