Five moves before the next heatwave
Heat kills more people in a sustained crisis than most violent threats — quietly, and mostly indoors. Five low-cost moves to make before the temperature climbs.
The quiet killer
Heat does its damage slowly and indoors, which is why it is so easy to underestimate. The people most at risk are the elderly, the very young, and anyone on medication that affects fluid balance — and they are often the least able to ask for help.
Five moves, none of them expensive
- Pick your cool room now. The lowest, most shaded room becomes your daytime base. Decide before you need it.
- Block the sun, not the air. Cover sun-facing windows from the outside during the day; open up for cross-flow at night.
- *Store water for drinking and cooling.* Damp cloths on the neck and wrists drop core temperature fast when you can't run a tap.
- Know the failure point. Above roughly 38°C core temperature with confusion or stopped sweating, this is an emergency — cool aggressively and get help.
- Check your medication. Some common drugs reduce your ability to regulate heat. Confirm storage and effects before a heatwave, not during one.
The goal isn't comfort — it's staying below the line where heat stops being unpleasant and starts being dangerous.
— Systems Fail Lab