Get ready for summer – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

With a dry summer predicted for Victoria, it’s time to get ready for hot days and weather-related emergencies. Read more to learn how you can prepare your emergency plans and keep cool in the heat.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a hot and dry summer, which increases fire danger in south-eastern Australia. Read on to learn how you can prepare your emergency plans and strategies to keep cool.

Prepare for emergencies

The VicEmergency website and app is your one-stop-shop for advice on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies and natural disasters.

It’s important to think ahead about the supplies you may need, and to ready yourself emotionally for the potential impacts of an emergency.

Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world, so it’s vital to plan ahead. Everyone could be affected by a fire at some time. Fire risk is most extreme if you live around or near forest or woodland.

Know what’s happening around you by:

Downloading the VicEmergency app to your smartphone via the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. You can set a Watch Zone for your local area, and the areas your family and friends live in.
Listening to your local ABC radio station

Learn the new fire danger ratings

Did you know a new Fire Danger Rating system was introduced in 2022? The new ratings are consistent across Australia, so whether you’re at home or travelling, you will see the same rating system. The ratings are important because they help you decide what actions to take to protect yourself and others from bushfires and grassfires. Fire Danger Ratings will be issued on days when there is a fire risk. Each fire danger rating will have a clear set of messages including the actions the community can take to reduce their risk. To learn more about the ratings and what to do, visit the CFA website

Planning for extreme heat and heatwaves

Extreme heat can affect anyone, but older and younger people and those with medical conditions are at greater risk. Heat can cause illnesses such as heat cramps and heat exhaustion which can lead to the life-threatening condition, heatstroke, which is fatal in up to 80% of cases.

Preparing for extreme heat can make hot days safer and more manageable. Here are a few tips to stay cool and well this summer:

Follow weather reports – watch the news daily, check the Weather Bureau forecast online and read the current heat health alert on health.vic.gov.au
Plan ahead – schedule activities in the coolest part of the day, avoid exercising in the heat and cancel non-essential outings. If you must go outside, wear a hat and sunscreen, and take a bottle of water with you.
Review medications and any chronic disease care plans – if you take medications, ask your doctor if you are at increased risk of heat-related illness in hot weather.
Check your electrical items and prepare for outages – ahead of hot weather, check that your fan or air-conditioner works well, and have your air-conditioner serviced if necessary.
Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water and reduce caffeine and alcohol.
Stay cool – keep curtains closed and spend time in the coolest room of the house. Turn on your air conditioner to ‘cool’.

For detailed advice, visit the Better Health Channel

Extreme heat and heatwaves — Victoria is one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the world, so it’s vital to plan ahead.

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	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.