Canberrans were reminded how to stay cool and how to look out for signs of heat related illness, especially in those most vulnerable such as the elderly and children.
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With the mercury in Canberra set to remain well above the 30C mark this week, a total fire has been declared in the ACT and nearby regions in NSW, including Queanbeyan and the Southern Tablelands, for Monday.
The ACT Emergency Services Agency Commissioner said there was a severe fire danger rating forecast, with 39C temperatures and west to north-westerly winds expected to reach 65km/h, creating perfect conditions for a fire.
Meanwhile, ACT emergency services, including ACT Fire & Rescue, were helping the NSW Rural Fire Service with a fire at Spring Hill with eight units in attendance.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a top of 39 degrees on Monday, and warned the overnight low was expected to be 22 degrees.
ACT Ambulance Service duty officer Mick McGrath said people tended not to realise how much moisture their bodies lost in hot temperatures and Canberrans should double their regular fluid intake compared to cooler days.
With Canberra's school children back to school on Monday, Mr McGrath said the elderly and young people were some of the most vulnerable in the high heat, offering advise to parents seeing the little ones off on Monday.
"If they can ensure they've got a hat to wear to school, if they do the sunscreen - slip slop slap - if they've got a cool drink to take with them to school," Mr McGrath said.
"Bottled water is the best thing you could possibly have."
Mr McGrath warned caffeine and alcohol were diuretics, causing the body to lose more fluid, and shared some tell tale signs of a heat related injury.
"Heat stress is more the headaches, the dizziness, the dry mouth, maybe a bit of nausea, vomiting, things like that," he said.
Mr McGrath said people feeling symptoms should move to a cool part of the house or, if outdoors, move under the shade. They would need to drink water, rest (despite people suffering heat stress possible feeling restless) and cool themselves however possible.
He reminded people to be mindful of how often they went to the toilet; if you weren't going often enough it could be because you weren't hydrated properly.
Another gauge would be looking at the colour of your urine, combined with any heat stress symptom. For example a headache and yellow urine could mean you were under heat stress.
However, Mr McGrath also warned if you were drinking lots of alcohol your urine would turn clear simply because of the amount you were consuming but this didn't indicate you were well hydrated as it was natural for the body to expel alcohol.
If a person's condition didn't improve with heat stress, they would suffer heat stroke and would need to seek medical help, with Mr McGrath sharing what people had to be watchful of.
"The nausea, the vomiting, disorientation, unconsciousness, you've got an increased core body temperature, you can have fitting, death," Mr McGrath said.
He also warned people could be caught out by cool mornings before being surprised by hotter temperatures later in the day.
Mainly, Mr McGrath stressed common sense: drinking plenty of water, running the air conditioning, limiting any physical activity especially during the middle of the day.
The ACT Ambulance's top tips for hot weather
- Drink water, which is the best liquid to ensure that hydration levels are kept at a safe level;
- Reduce intake of alcohol and excessive caffeine as these can have a dehydrating effect;
- Wear sensible clothing including a hat and sunscreen;
- Avoid strenuous physical exercise in the heat of the day;
- Seek air-conditioned environments or shade when outside;
- Do not leave children or pets unattended in hot cars; and
- Call Emergency Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance if someone is showing signs of heat stress.
