How to cope with the heatwave

A little bit of sunshine is good for us, but a lot, like we’re getting right now, can be really dangerous.

Temperatures are set to keep rising over the next few days, so it’s really important to look after yourselves and your neighbours so we can avoid serious health issues.

Those particularly at risk in the heat are:

• Older people
• People living in care homes
• Anyone with heart or lung conditions
• Babies
• Anyone living with a drug or drink dependency
• People living high up or on the top floor of a block of flats

The best thing we can do when it heats up is to look out for each other. If you have neighbours or friends that are older or disabled, check on them regularly to make sure they’re ok.

If you feel like you need some extra help from us, don’t forget to contact us to see how we can support you. Call us, email us via customers@stonewater.org, or pop us a message on any of our social media channels.

Here’s some things you can do to beat the heat:

Drink plenty of water

Drinking lots of water is always a good idea and the advice from the NHS is to drink six to eight cups (just over a litre) per day.

During the hot weather, try your best to stay hydrated when you can. Drinking water is a cheap and healthy way to take on fluids throughout the day, but you can also count things like tea or no-added sugar fruit juice.

Take a look at some more advice here (via NHS).

Wear sun cream if you go out

The sunshine is great for getting some vitamin D, but we all know that it can be really dangerous to be out in it for too long.

UV rays can cause premature skin ageing and other serious illnesses such as skin cancer, so make sure you enjoy the sunshine sensibly and apply lots of sun cream to stay safe.

Here’s some reasons why sun cream is good for your wellbeing (via the British Skin Foundation).

Stay cool

The best way to stay cool is stay out of the sun, but it’s virtually impossible to avoid it all day.

The Met Office has got some advice on what you can do to manage your time in the sun and a few other steps you can take to stay safe.

Keeping the heat out

It can be difficult to escape the heat right now, but here’s a few things you can do to keep cool indoors during the heatwave:

• Block the sun out by closing curtains or blinds
• Open windows at night and in the morning to let the cooler air in
• Turn off any lights or appliances you’re not using – most of these generate some form of heat
• Put a few drinks in the fridge to keep you cool throughout the day