Red weather warnings are in place across the UK for Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach dangerous levels in many areas. Extreme heat is more than uncomfortable , it can be genuinely life-threatening, particularly for vulnerable people. Here are seven practical things you can do right now to stay safer.

For yourself

1. Make a DIY ice pack for bedtime
Getting to sleep in a heatwave is one of the hardest parts. Try filling a hot water bottle with water and ice cubes, wrapping it in a towel, and placing it in your bed before you get in. It’s a simple trick, but it works.

2. Cool your pulse points
Your wrists, the inside of your elbows, and the sides of your neck all sit over major blood vessels. Running cold water over these areas – or placing a cool, damp cloth on them – helps lower your overall body temperature more efficiently than cooling other parts of the body.

3. Drink water before you’re thirsty
By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already in the early stages of dehydration. In hot temperatures, aim for 2–3 litres of water spread throughout the day, and keep a bottle nearby as a reminder.

For your home

4. Manage your windows strategically
It might feel counterintuitive, but keeping windows closed during the hottest part of the day traps cooler air inside. Open them early in the morning and again in the evening as the air begins to cool, and create a cross-breeze by opening windows at opposite ends of the property. Direct sunlight through glass heats a room very quickly. Keeping curtains and blinds closed during the day, especially on south and west-facing windows, makes a significant difference to indoor temperature.

5. Use your fan wisely
Position your fan to draw cooler air in from outside rather than simply recirculating warm indoor air. At night, place a bowl of ice in front of the fan, supposedly as the ice melts, it cools the air being blown into the room.

For others

6. Check on vulnerable neighbours
Please take a moment this week to check on anyone around you who may be at greater risk –  particularly neighbours over 75 who live alone, and anyone with a chronic health condition. Extreme heat can escalate into a medical emergency quickly and quietly. A knock on the door or a short phone call could make all the difference.

7. Don’t forget the wildlife

Insects and birds dehydrate quickly in hot weather and can struggle to find safe water sources. You can help by placing a shallow dish of water outside. Add some stones and twigs so that small insects like bees have something to land and climb on safely, rather than falling in. Refresh the water daily, and place a separate, slightly deeper dish for birds somewhere shaded and out of reach of cats.