PrepHeatwave checklist
How to get your home ready for hot weather, and what to do when it arrives. Tick things off and print the list. Nothing leaves this browser.
Who's at home?
Your heatwave checklist
Check it again once a year.
Before hot weather
During hot weather
From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.
How it works
This list follows the UK Health Security Agency's Beat the Heat advice and its keep cool at home checklist, updated 21 July 2026, along with Be Ready's page on hot weather. The UKHSA guidance applies to England.
Who's at higher risk: people aged 65 and over, children aged 5 and under, pregnant women, people with long-term conditions such as heart or breathing problems, and people who live alone. Top-floor flats and homes with windows on one side only are more likely to overheat.
Medicines: keep taking prescribed medicines unless a medical professional says otherwise. Some need to be stored below 25°C or in the fridge, so follow the packaging. If you're worried, call NHS 111.
If someone has heat exhaustion, move them somewhere cooler, take off extra clothing, give them cool water or a rehydration drink, and spray or sponge their skin with cool water. They should start to feel better within 30 minutes. The NHS says to call 999 if they're still unwell after 30 minutes, or you think it's heatstroke.
Common questions
How do I keep my house cool in a heatwave?
Shade or cover windows, and open them when the air outside is cooler, especially at night. Turn off the heating, lights and equipment you aren't using, and cook at cooler times of day.
Are fans safe in a heatwave?
UKHSA says to use electric fans only if the air temperature is below 35°C, and not to aim them directly at your body.
Who is most at risk in hot weather?
UKHSA lists people aged 65 and over, children aged 5 and under, pregnant women, people with long-term conditions, and people who live alone or need help with daily activities.
How should I store medicines in hot weather?
Follow the packaging. UKHSA says some need to be stored below 25°C or in the fridge. Ask your pharmacist if you're not sure.
What are the signs of heatstroke?
Confusion, lack of co-ordination, a fast heartbeat, fast breathing or shortness of breath, hot skin that isn't sweating, and seizures. Call 999, then try to cool the person down.
Sources
- GOV.UK: beat the heat, keep cool at home checklist (updated 21 July 2026)
- GOV.UK: beat the heat, staying safe in hot weather (updated 21 July 2026)
- NHS: heat exhaustion and heatstroke (reviewed 28 May 2026)
- Be Ready: hot weather and heatwaves
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.