ECRU Sector Support

Severe Heatwave Warning

Emergency WA and The Western Australia Health Department warn of a Severe Heatwave Warning for: Pilbara, Gascoyne, Goldfields, North Interior, South Interior and Central Wheat Belt Districts

The heatwave is expected to last into the middle of this week.

The Western Australian Health Department holds concerns for young children who are susceptible to suffering from heatstroke.

Please access the resources and factsheets provided to help care for the children in your care.

Heatwaves – be prepared for extreme heat

Extreme heat and heatwave resources for the community

Emergency WA - Alerts and Warnings

Your service may wish to consider:

• Encouraging children to drink plenty of water and making sure children have access to water at all times.
• Closing windows, curtains, blinds, and shutters in rooms with sun exposure early in the day before the temperature gets hot.
• Using air-conditioning and fans on the ‘cool’ setting if available. 
• Spending most time in the coolest rooms in the service.
• Opening windows and doors during cooler parts of the day to help cool the premises, if it is safe to do so.
• Using cool packs and wet cloths to keep cool as needed. 
• Encouraging children to wear suitable clothes. 
• Engaging in indoor activities over outdoor activities.
• Planning alternative options.  For example, Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) services who use undercover areas may wish to consider if the space is suitable during heat wave conditions and should have plans in place if this space is not suitable

Look out for signs of dehydration, heat stress and heatstroke:

The health of children suffering from symptoms of dehydration may decline quickly.  Hospitals throughout WA encourage carers and parents to go straight to hospital with any concerns. 

Please share this information with the families of children attending your services and remind them that children are especially susceptible to heat stress in a heatwave.  Encourage them to looks for any signs and treat symptoms immediately.