Heat Safety

Hot weather can affect your health. When temperatures rise, it’s important to know the signs of heat-related illness and how to stay safe.

Learn the symptoms, check on people who may be at higher risk, and follow these tips to help prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat-related illness

Heat-related illness can range from mild to severe:

• Heavy sweating
• Severe headache
• Muscle cramps
• Extreme thirst
• Dark urine

If you have these symptoms, move to a cooler place, drink plenty of water, and cool your body with water. Wear a wet shirt or place damp towels on your skin.

If you have mild to moderate symptoms and are eligible for Community Health Services, Community Virtual Care (CVC) may be able to help. Visit the CVC webpage to learn more and who can use it.

When to call 9-1-1

Some symptoms of heat-related illness are serious and need urgent medical care.

Call 9-1-1 if you or someone else has:

• A high body temperature (above 39 °C or 102 °F)
• Hot, flushed or very pale skin
• Light-headedness and/or fainting
• Confusion, disorientation, or trouble speaking or moving normally
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness
• Not sweating
• Little or no urination
• Rapid breathing and a weak, fast heartbeat

While waiting for help, move you or the person to a cool place and cool the body with water and fanning.

People at greater risk

Some people are more likely to become sick from extreme heat, including:

• People aged 60 or older
• People who live alone
• People with health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory disease
• People with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression or anxiety
• People with substance use disorders
• People with limited mobility
• People who are marginally housed
• People who work in hot environments
• Pregnant people
• Infants and young children

Other tips to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke

Stay hydrated

• Drink plenty of fluids, even if you are not very active.
• Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink water.
• Avoid drinks with alcohol, caffeine, or a lot of sugar, since they don’t help your body stay hydrated as well.

If you stay inside

An indoor thermometer can help you stay safe during hot weather. It shows how hot your home is.

Use these guidelines:

• 26°C or lower: usually safe for most people
• 26°C to 31°C: may be risky for people more sensitive to heat
• Above 31°C: can be dangerous for people at higher risk

If your home stays above 31°C and you are at higher risk, try to go somewhere cooler. This could be a friend’s home, a hotel, a public place like a library, or a local cooling centre.

For up-to-date information on cooling and misting centres during heat events, check your local municipal or regional district website or EmergencyMapBC.

Keep your home cool

Indoor temperatures are often highest around 8 p.m. Homes can get dangerously hot if it stays hot for several days or doesn’t cool down at night.

Use these tips to stay cooler at home:

• Use an indoor thermometer to check indoor and outdoor temperatures.
• If it is hotter outside, keep windows and doors closed, Don’t open them again until it cools down.
• Make sure windows and balconies are safe if children are in the home.
• Close blinds or curtains during the day to block heat and sunlight.
• Sleep in the coolest room, even if it is not your bedroom. A basement may be cooler if you have one.
• Fans don’t cool your body, but they can help move air at night.
• Use air conditioning if you have it.
• If you have a portable AC, use it in your bedroom to stay cool while sleeping.

Learn more about protecting your home from heat, flooding, and wildfire at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation.

If you go outside

• Stay in air-conditioned places when you can, like a mall or library, until it cools down outside.
• Look for cooler spots outside, like parks near water or shaded areas with lots of trees.
• Avoid hard activity like exercise or heavy work during the hottest part of the day.
• Be considerate of others and share shaded or cooler spaces when needed.

Safety reminder:

• Never leave children or pets alone in a parked car. Temperatures can rise very quickly and become dangerous.
• Protect yourself from the sun and heat when you are outside.

Check in with neighbours

Some people can get sick from heat very quickly. They may not notice the danger until it becomes serious.

Check in on friends, family, and neighbours during hot weather. Staying connected can help keep people safe and may even save lives.

• Help at-risk family, friends and neighbours to prepare for heat events in advance.
• Have a plan to check in/connect with a “hot weather buddy” during heat events. Check in more than once a day.
• If you are concerned for your buddy, review the symptoms above or use this tool to support them to take appropriate actions.
• Help at-risk friends and family members prepare for heat events by directing them to the resources on this page, or consider building them a Cool Kit.

Smoke and extreme heat events

Overheating is a greater health risk than breathing in smoke. Heat can make people very sick very quickly. People most at risk from smoke are also at higher risk from heat.

During events with both smoke and extreme heat, focus on staying cool and breathing cleaner air.

• Stay in a cool place with clean air if possible
• Keep windows closed to reduce smoke coming inside
• Use air conditioning if available
• If your home is too hot or smoky, go somewhere cooler and cleaner, such as a mall or library

For the most up-to-date information on cooling and misting centres, check your local municipal or regional district website or EmergencyInfoBC.

Resources for heat safety

• Government of Canada Extreme Heat Events: Overview
• Health Canada Staying Healthy in the Heat
• HealthLink BC Beat the Heat or call 8-1-1
• Island Health: How to protect yourself from the heat this summer
• Prepared BC Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide
• Island Health Outdoor Event Heat Safety Recommendations and Planning Tool
• Health Emergency Management BC, First Nations Health Authority, Métis Nation British Columbia and Island Health Extreme Heat Information for Community Health Partners and Local Governments
• Wildfire Smoke and Community Care Facilities
• Extreme Heat and Community Care Facilities
• Wildfire Smoke and Schools/Childcare
• Extreme Heat and Schools/Childcare