• Identify a cooler space in your home and prepare it so you can stay there at night, if possible. You may need to change daily living arrangements
• Find an air-conditioned spot close by where you can cool off on very hot days. Consider staying with friends or family or find places in your community to spend time such as movie theatres, libraries, community centres, or shopping malls
• Check that you have a working fan. If you have an air conditioner, make sure it works
• Install awnings, shutters, blinds, or curtains over your windows to keep the sun out during the day
• Practice opening doors and windows to move cool air in at night and shutting windows during the day to prevent hot outdoor air from coming inside
• Get a digital room thermometer to keep with you so you know when your home is getting too hot

• Think of people you know who may be more susceptible to heat and develop a buddy system
• Check in with your hot weather buddy often, especially in the evening when indoor temperatures are highest. It is also good to check early morning, to see how your buddy has managed through the night
• If your home is cooler, invite those who are at highest risk to stay with you

• If you take regular medications, drugs, or have a health condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether it increases your health risk in the heat and follow their recommendations
• Know the signs and symptoms of heat-related illness so you can identify problems early on. Severe headache, confusion, unsteadiness, loss of thirst, nausea/vomiting, and dark urine or no urine are signs of dangerous heat-related illness

• Check on people at higher risk in-person to evaluate their health and the temperature indoors. If you cannot check in-person, ask them to tell you what it says on their thermostat or indoor thermometer
• Encourage those who may not know they are at higher risk to take cool baths, sleep in the coolest room, or stay with friends
• If you have air conditioning and higher risk members of your family do not, bring them to your house
• Never leave children, dependent adults, or pets alone in a parked car, leaving windows open will not help

Learn more: Health Check during Extreme Heat: A Guide to In-Person or Remote Health Checks

• If you do not have air conditioning, find somewhere with air conditioning especially if you are at increased risk. Spend time in cooler indoor spaces in the community like shopping centres or libraries
• Sleep in the coolest room of the house, even if that is not your bedroom. Sleeping in the basement or outside will provide relief to the body overnight, if possible. Set that space up for comfort, being sure you have water to drink and easy access to a toilet
• Open windows and doors when the outdoor temperature goes down below the indoor temperature at night
• Shut windows and close shutters, curtains, or blinds in the morning to keep cooler air in and to keep the sun out. Leaving windows open during the day lets the hot air indoors
• Make meals that don't need to be cooked in an oven
  
• Protect yourself from the sun by staying in the shade, avoiding direct sun mid-day, wearing a hat and protective clothing, using sunscreen, and wearing UV-protective eyewear.
• Seek cooler, breezier areas when outdoors, such as large parks with water features and lots of trees.

Important: If you are experiencing extreme heat during an air quality advisory, prioritize cooling down. Heat is typically more dangerous than short-term exposure to poor air quality. 

If you cannot access air conditioning and/or a cool room, consider:

• wearing a damp shawl or shirt
• sitting in a cool or tepid bath to draw heat from the body into the water
• taking a cool shower 
• using a damp sheet at night
• putting an ice tray in front of a fan
• using a personal mister or spray bottle