CAMDEN is a caring place – and this week we need to look out for each other as we face several consecutive days of extreme heat.

Many of us enjoy warm, sunny weather but the next few days will be more challenging than that. The Met Office has issued a red heat warning which is very rare – and in simple terms means we need to take action to stay safe.

The national public health advice on keeping well in extreme heat is helpful for everyone, but it states some groups of people are more likely to be ill because of hot weather and should be extra careful. These include any babies or children under five in our families, people who are over 65, who have long-term health conditions, who have dementia, mental health problems, drug or alcohol addiction or who live alone, are homeless, or need help to look after themselves.

Please do check in on people you know who fall into these categories to see how they are doing.

We all need to drink fluids regularly throughout the day to avoid dehydration and it is important to try and keep cool.

I’ve been given some advice to pass on from our public health team, who follow national public health guidance, about how we can be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion – a condition that happens when your body overheats – and how to treat it.
Symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick or being sick, excessive sweating and skin becoming clammy, cramps in arms, legs and stomach, a high temperature, being very thirsty and feeling irritable.

Public health guidance says that if someone is showing these symptoms it is important that they are cooled down and given fluids. They usually recover within 30 minutes. You can help someone to do this by moving them to a cool space, helping them to drink water and by removing unnecessary layers of their outer clothing.

If you feel you need medical help, call NHS 111 and always call 999 in an emergency.

As a council, we’re putting in place special arrangements with our partners to support you during this period.

We have a whole network of “cool spaces” spread across the borough – our libraries and public buildings, as well as community centres and supermarkets – many of which have air conditioning, a place to get cold water or simply get out of the sun and in a cooler place then your home. You can find a map showing your nearest cool space and its opening times on our website, see below.

We have activated our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) to provide emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough, lasting until at least Friday.

Outreach workers and partners will be out on the streets to ensure people rough sleeping are aware of this offer and to give out support, water, suncream and hats. If you see anyone sleeping rough, please call 0808 800 0005 or 020 7846 3535, providing details of the person’s location and description and we will try to locate them to offer support.

We’re also working closely with our schools to support them. Schools and early years providers will be following national guidance for education settings during hot weather and making any necessary adjustments to ensure the safety of the school community. All our school buildings are of course very different and there is a good amount of flexibility for schools to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

These instances of extreme heat are becoming more regular and it’s important we know what to do when it arrives. Please look out for each other this week – and stay cool!

• For more advice, please visit www.camden.gov.uk/en/preparing-for-hot-weather

• Councillor Kemi Atolagbe is Camden’s cabinet member for health, wellbeing and adult social care