Published on: 15 July 2022
There are several days of very warm weather coming up – and we are urging people who use our services to take extra care.
The Met Office is forecasting heatwave conditions in the East Midlands between Sunday 16 July and Tuesday 19 July. Monday 18 July and Tuesday 19 July are forecast to be especially hot, and the Met Office has issued a ‘red warning’ for these two days.
Precautions
We are encouraging service users and others in our local communities to follow the advice and precautions on the NHS website over the next few days, to stay safe in the heat.
The NHS advice includes:
- Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol
- Stay cool indoors – close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler, and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
- Never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals
- Try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm
- Walk in the shade, apply sunscreen regularly and wear a wide brimmed hat, if you have to go out in the heat
- Avoid exercising in the hottest parts of the day
- Make sure you take water with you, if you are travelling
- If you are going into open water to cool down, take care and follow local safety advice – such as this advice from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The UK Health Security Agency have also produced guidance on how to stay safe in extreme heat.
Easy-read advice
There is an easy-read version of the 2014 heatwave plan for England that is helpful. It is called ‘keeping healthy when it is really hot’.
Download and view the easy-read document ‘keeping healthy when it is really hot’.
British Sign Language (BSL) advice
In 2020, the charity Deaf Direct produced a video with heatwave advice in BSL, with subtitles.
You can watch the BSL heatwave advice video on the Deaf Direct Facebook page.
Further information
Derbyshire County Council have produced some the following handy information sheets:
