Status Yellow - High Temperature Warning

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday exceptionally warm weather will occur over Ireland with daytime temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees generally and possibly up to 32 degrees in places on Monday. Night time temperatures will range from 15 to 20 degrees. The warning will be in effect from 6am on Sunday, 17 July until 9pm on Tuesday, 19 July.

Monitor Met Éireann forecasts for further updates at www.met.ie

The impacts of this weather will include:

Be Summer Ready

Extreme heat can cause exhaustion, heat stroke and aggravate pre-existing health conditions. The very young, the elderly, people with underlying medical conditions and the seriously ill are groups who are particularly at risk of health problems when temperatures increase.

  • Never leave children alone in hot vehicles
  • Stay inside during the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm) and limit time outside in the sun
  • Keep Hydrated
  • Check in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours and relatives

Who is particularly vulnerable?

Heatwave conditions can affect any of us, but those most at risk are;

  • Babies and children.
  • People over 65 years’ old.
  • People with underlying health conditions including problems with breathing, heart, kidneys and diabetes
  • People with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  • People who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places – those who work outdoors or the homeless.  

How to keep cool

  • Minimise unnecessary heating - turn off central heating, electrical equipment and lights that are not needed.
  • Keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm- stay in the shade or cover windows exposed to direct sunlight.
  • If you have to go outdoors, protect your skin by using shade, wear clothing that covers the skin, a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen of 30+ for adults and 50+ for children.
  • Use natural ventilation such as open windows when the air feels cooler outside than inside (e.g at night) and where it is safe, secure and feasible to do so.
  • Increase air flow through buildings wherever possible.
  • Evaporative cooling – dampening your skin may help keep you cool. If you are using air conditioning, make sure it is using a fresh air supply, which is important to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
  • Electric fans need to be used with caution, as they may not be safe for higher temperatures and should not be used where a person may be incubating or a case of Covid-19.  

How to Stay hydrated

  • Make sure you have enough water to drink.
  • An adult needs approximately two litres of water over 24 hours. This may be less for smaller people or those with medical conditions.
  • Drink more fluids when you feel any dehydration symptoms. The best fluids to drink are water or oral rehydration sachets – chat to your pharmacist about how to use these safely.
  • Drink enough during the day so your urine is a pale clear colour.

Carers - making sure someone drinks enough

The person you are caring for may not have a sense of how much they're drinking.

To help them:

  • Make sure they drink during mealtimes.
  • Make drinking a social thing, like "having a cup of tea".
  • Offer them food with a high water content – for example, ice cream or jellies, or fruits like melon.

When to get medical help

Contact your GP or the Emergency Department if you are unwell and especially if you are showing signs of serious dehydration that need urgent care, i.e. you are:

  • confused and disorientated.
  • feel very dizzy.
  • have not peed all day.
  • feel like your heart is beating fast.
  • have fits (seizures).
  • are caring for someone who is drowsy or difficult to wake.
  • when you are having difficulty controlling a person’s temperature.

These can be signs of serious dehydration that need urgent treatment.

Be Prepared, Be Sun Smart

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland, yet it is largely preventable by protecting skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Be prepared. Follow the Healthy Ireland SunSmart 5 Ss:

  • Slip on clothing: Cover skin as much as possible, wear long sleeves, collared t-shirts.
  • Slop on broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen: Apply sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30+ for adults and 50+ for children, with high UVA protection and is water-resistant. Reapply regularly. No sunscreen can provide 100% protection, it should be used alongside other protective measures such as clothing and shade.
  • Slap on a wide-brimmed hat. Protect your face, ears and neck.
  • Seek shade: Especially if outdoors between 11am to 3pm. Sit in the cover of trees to avoid direct sunlight. Use a sunshade on your buggy or pram. Keep babies and children out of direct sunlight.
  • Slide on sunglasses.

Don’t forget!

If you work outdoors follow the Be Sun Smart advice.

Never leave children or pets in a car.

 

Water Safety

As a warm weather spell continues across Ireland, Water Safety Ireland has issued advice to help swimmers stay safe from drowning. An average of nine people drown every month nationwide and Water Safety Ireland is urging the public to be mindful of the following advice during the current spell of warm weather:

  • Swim within your depth and stay within your depth.
  • Swim in areas that are known locally as safe and where there are ringbuoys present for rescues.
  • Avoid swimming in unfamiliar areas that are potentially unsafe. Ask for local knowledge to
    determine local hazards and safest areas to swim. Pay attention to any safety signage.
  • Make sure that the water’s edge is shallow shelving so that you can safely enter and exit.
  • The air temperature is warm but open water is cooler than air – avoid extended stays in the
    water as your muscles will cool, making swimming more difficult.
  • Never use inflatable toys in open water as a gentle breeze can quickly bring a person away
    from shore.
  • Always supervise children closely and never leave them alone near water.
  • Alcohol is a factor in one third of drownings. Do not mix it with water activities.
  • To escape a rip current, swim parallel to the shore and then swim back ashore. See
    www.watersafety.ie/rip-currents/
  • If you see somebody in trouble in the water: Shout – Reach – Throw
    a. Shout to calm, encourage and orientate them;
    b. Reach with anything that prevents you from entering the water (clothing/stick);
    c. Throw a ringbuoy or any floating object to them.
  • When boating, always wear a correctly fitting lifejacket and have to hand a VHF radio and a
    fully charged mobile phone in a waterproof pouch.

Forest Fire High Risk

An Orange Forest Fire Danger Rating (High Fire Risk) has been issued by the Department of Agriculture, in effect from until 12noon on Wednesday, 20 July.

Members of the public and visitors to recreational areas should cooperate with all requests regarding fire safety, obey all relevant bye-laws and be considerate in parking vehicles so as not to impede access by emergency vehicles.

Where fire outbreaks occur at or near recreational areas the following actions should be taken by visitors in the interests of safety.

  1. Do not light fires in and around forests or open land.
  2. Do not attempt to intervene or fight fires under any circumstances.
  3. Gather all family/group members and move to a safe fuel-free location such as a car park, upwind of the fire.
  4. Telephone Fire Services via 999 or 112 and report the fire and its location.
  5. Evacuate if instructed to do so, and cooperate with all Emergency Service Instructions.

Summer barbecue safety

A barbecue should be a safe and enjoyable experience but it’s all too easy to be distracted when you have friends and family around you whilst cooking. To avoid injuries or damage to property, follow these simple precautions:

  • Never BBQ on a balcony
  • Make sure your barbecue is in good working order
  • Ensure the barbecue is on a flat site, well away from the house/apartment, trees or shrubs
  • Keep children, garden games and pets well away from the cooking area
  • Never leave the barbecue unattended
  • Keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies
  • Never barbecue in parks, wildland areas or any site in close proximity to vegetation, trees, etc
  • Ensure the barbecue is cool before attempting to move it.