Summer safety

A heatwave is a period of unusually hot weather, when both daytime and nighttime temperatures stay higher than normal for at least three days.

It’s not just about how hot it gets during the day — it’s also about how much it cools down overnight. When nights remain hot, our bodies don’t get a chance to recover, increasing the risk of heat-related illness.

Extreme heat can affect anyone, but older people, young children, and those with existing health conditions are most at risk. Heatwaves can also impact essential services such as power supply, transport, and health systems.

To help communities stay safe, heatwave warnings are issued when extreme heat is forecast. These warnings include expected temperatures, when the heatwave will peak or ease, the areas affected, and recommended actions to take. In Victoria, the Chief Health Officer may also issue a heat health warning when conditions pose a risk to public health, even if it’s for a single day of very high temperatures.

View Better Health Victoria's video on extreme heat.

Keep yourself and your loved ones safe by:

• checking in on others and offering help to those who need it
• drinking plenty of fluids
• planning ahead and checking the weather.

Learn more on the Better Health Victoria website.     

Anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, but those most at risk are:

• people over 65 years of age, particularly those living alone or without air conditioning
• babies and young children
• pregnant women
• people who are breastfeeding
• people with particular health conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, etc.
• people taking certain medications, as some side effects may impair their body’s ability to lose heat.

You can keep cool at home with these simple tips.

• $100 Power Saving Bonus: A $100 payment available to households with a Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card, and a recent electricity bill.
• Energy Assistance Program: A free phone service helping Victorians having trouble paying their energy bills. The program covers energy debt, getting the best offer, saving energy, and negotiating with energy companies.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Close doors to unused areas of your home.
• Close window coverings, curtains, and blinds early to keep the sun out.
• Open some windows and doors to vent your home when a cool change comes through.
• Use fans before air conditioning. Turn fans on first, then if you have air conditioning, use air conditioning with the fans to keep your skin cool.
• Keep yourself cool by placing wet facecloths or towels on your forehead, wrists, and feet.
• Plan meals that don’t require an oven.
• Remember to check on your elderly or frail neighbours.

Read more tips on keeping your home cool

You can visit our libraries and community hubs during staffed hours.

View the list of library locations.

Hubs:

Aspendale Gardens Community Service
Chelsea Activity Hub
Cheltenham Community Centre
Clarinda Community Centre
Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre
Longbeach Place Inc.
Mordialloc Community Centre
Mordialloc Neighbourhood House
Patterson Lakes Community Centre
Sundowner Community Centre
Westall Community Hub

Before an outage occurs, take the time to get ready with these simple preparation tips:

• Inform your electricity retailer ASAP if you require life support equipment.
• Keep a physical list of essential contacts.
• Prepare portable battery chargers, batteries, and alternative lighting.
• Have bottled water and non-perishable food ready.
• Use a solar battery where you can.
• Ensure you have a torch, fully charged mobile phone, a battery-operated radio, and some spare batteries.
• Stock up on medications and other essential items
• Consider a battery-operated or handheld fan to assist with cooling.
• Turn off appliances and devices at the wall if power goes out.

Secure your home over the holiday season if you are going away for an extended period.

• Have someone take care of your bins and mail.
• Let your trusted neighbours know or have someone check in your home.
• If possible, keep a car in the driveway.
• Put your spare key away.
• Lock up your doors and windows.

Read more tips on keeping your home safe or take a quiz and get a report on how safe your home is.

Find tips to keep you safe when out on the road, or at home, camps, picnic grounds, beaches and the bush on the Victoria Police website.

Stay safe at the beach by finding the cool patrolled spots, check the weather vibes, learn to spot rip currents, and be in the know. Have fun times and zero worries this summer.

Pools and spas at home are great fun over the summer but they are not risk free. Remain ever vigilant and make sure you’re always watching!

 If you’re a local, you probably love the water just as much as we do and know how important it is to swim safely – but your visiting family and friends might not. Please help share these important water safety messages:  

• Swim between the red and yellow flags at a beach patrolled by lifesavers. 
• Be aware of conditions, read safety signs and prepare by refreshing your swimming and water safety skills.
• Know your own capabilities and plan for what you need to do to stay safe - including swimming with others/an observer.
• Be aware of the impact of medication and pre-existing health conditions around water.
• Understand the impact of wind on flotation and recreational devices – blow-up shapes and paddleboards can get swept out quickly.
• Avoid alcohol when swimming or supervising around water.

Extreme weather events can happen anytime, anywhere, and sometimes without warning, posing safety risks to people, animals, property and business.

There are simple steps you can take to plan ahead and help protect yourself, the people you love and the things you value.

 You can prepare by:

• Downloading the VicEmergency app to receive location-specific alerts when warnings are issued or incidents occur. The app aligns with the VicEmergency website to provide a single, reliable source of emergency information and updates
• Write an emergency plan and pack your essentials
• cleaning your gutters and drains 
• trimming over-hanging branches and trees 
• making sure your roof is in good repair
• securing items around your home e.g., trampolines, outdoor furniture, play equipment, gardening tools, etc.