Practical tips for everyone

Tips for staying cool in your home

Close the shutters, curtains and blinds on windows exposed to the sun.
Keep doors and windows closed at times when the outside temperature is higher than the temperature indoors.
Ventilate your home in the early morning and in the late evening or at night.

Avoid leaving the house during the hottest hours of the day.
Stay indoors in the coolest rooms in your home.
If the temperature inside your home is too high: if possible, spend some time in a cooler or well-ventilated place (shady park, museum, public buildings, swimming pool, cinema).
Take a shower or a partial bath (bathing your feet or hands) to cool your body down.
If you have to go outside:
- stay in the shade,
- wear light, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing, ideally cotton or linen,
- cover your head,
- stay hydrated by drinking water regularly in small amounts without waiting until you feel thirsty (at least 1.5 litres of water per day). In addition, you can drink lightly sweetened drinks or vegetable broths and juices, etc.:
  - juice diluted 50/50 with water,
  - lightly sweetened infusions (1 teaspoon of sugar per cup).
Avoid tea, coffee, sugary drinks and alcohol, as these drinks have a diuretic effect.
Alcohol also reduces the body's capacity to deal with heat.
Eat cold and light meals. If you have no appetite, opt for snacks instead of a meal.
Eat fruit and vegetables every day, especially raw vegetables, to recharge your body with minerals.
Digesting heavy meals increases body temperature and discomfort in hot weather.
If you are ill or elderly and live alone, ask someone to visit you regularly and sign up for the Heatwave Plan.

Last update 09.01.2026