Heat-health advice
When the heat turns dangerous, small actions add up. Find the ones that fit your home, your budget and your day.
21 ways to cool down — filter to what fits you
Keep direct sun off the glass on south- and west-facing windows so rooms don't heat up.
Light-coloured or blackout linings reflect the most heat. Do it before the sun reaches each window, not after the room is already warm.
Let cool night air flush the heat out, then shut windows and blinds before it warms up again.
Opening windows on opposite sides of your home creates a through-draught that clears warm air much faster.
Sip water often rather than waiting until you feel thirsty, and go easy on alcohol and caffeine.
Pale-coloured urine is a good sign you're drinking enough. Keep a bottle nearby as a reminder.
A lukewarm-to-cool shower brings your core temperature down fast and helps you sleep.
Avoid ice-cold water, which can make your body try to warm itself back up. Cool, not freezing, works best.
Hold a cool, wet cloth to your wrists, neck and forehead where blood runs close to the skin.
This is a fast way to feel cooler without a shower. Refresh the cloth with cool water as it warms up.
Loose natural fabrics like cotton and linen let air move and sweat evaporate.
Light colours reflect sunlight instead of absorbing it, so they stay cooler outdoors.
Cooking adds a lot of heat to your home. Choose cold meals or use a microwave instead.
Salads, sandwiches and no-cook meals keep the kitchen cool. If you must cook, do it late in the evening.
TVs, chargers, games consoles and lamps all give off heat, even on standby.
Swapping any remaining halogen or incandescent bulbs for LEDs cuts a surprising amount of heat too.
A fan moving air over a bowl of ice or a frozen bottle blows noticeably cooler air.
A fan alone just circulates warm air once the room is above about 35°C. Adding ice gives it something cold to work with.
Lightweight cotton or linen sheets wick sweat and feel cooler than synthetics.
Storing your sheets or pyjamas in the fridge for an hour before bed is an old trick for getting off to sleep.
Stick-on film reflects solar heat before it enters the room, and peel-off versions are renter-friendly.
Static-cling and removable films don't damage the glass, so they're usually fine in a rented home. Fit them on the sunniest windows first.
Blinds with a reflective backing block far more heat than curtains alone.
Tension-rod or stick-on blinds can be fitted without drilling if you're renting or want to avoid marking the walls.
A portable cooler can take the edge off one room without rewiring anything.
Evaporative coolers are cheaper to run but work best in dry air. Portable AC units cool more reliably but cost more and need a window vent.
Shading the outside of a window stops heat before it ever hits the glass — far more effective than internal blinds.
Awnings, external shutters or a well-placed pergola are a bigger job and usually need to be your own property or landlord sign-off.
A deciduous tree or a climber on a trellis shades the house in summer and still lets light through in winter.
This is a long game — it takes seasons to grow — but it's one of the most effective ways to keep a building cool over time.
Move to a cooler room to sleep — heat is hardest to cope with overnight.
Downstairs and north-facing rooms usually stay coolest. If you can't move rooms, keep that room shaded and ventilated through the day.
Libraries, supermarkets and other air-conditioned public spaces are a free way to cool down when home gets too hot.
A couple of hours somewhere cool during the hottest part of the day gives your body a proper break from the heat.
Shift anything strenuous to early morning or the evening, and take it easy between 11am and 3pm.
UV and temperatures peak in the middle of the day. Rescheduling hard activity is one of the simplest ways to avoid heat exhaustion.
Stay in the shade 11am–3pm, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and apply SPF 30+ sunscreen with 4–5 star UVA protection.
Sunburn stops your skin cooling itself properly, so protecting from the sun also helps you handle the heat.
Look in on older neighbours, young children and anyone living alone or with a health condition — they feel the heat first.
Those aged 65+, very young children, and people with heart, lung or other long-term conditions are most vulnerable. A quick call or visit can catch problems early.
Don't leave children, adults or pets in a stationary vehicle, even briefly — temperatures inside climb dangerously fast.
A car in the sun can become far hotter than outside within minutes, which can be fatal.
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