Heatwave alerts and heat health warnings
Heatwave alerts and heat health warnings
Heatwaves have become a serious public health issue, causing more deaths in Australia in the past 200 years, than any other natural hazard. Extreme heat events are becoming an increasingly common occurrence throughout Western Australia. Associated with these events is the projected increase in the number of heat related deaths and consequential impacts on community, infrastructure and services.
The Department of Health has overall responsibility for emergency management of heatwave while prevention, preparedness and recovery are the responsibilities of individual agencies.
Heatwave alert warning levels
The Australian Warning System (external site) is a national approach to information and calls to actions for hazards including extreme heat. Heatwave alerts have three warning levels indicating the increasing risk to your health.
Get informed and stay up to date with current heatwave alerts on Emergency WA (external site) and weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology (external site) to help you prepare for and lessen the impact of heatwaves.
Advice – stay up to-date
An incident has started.
Prepare now for a heatwave that will affect your area in the coming days.
Stay-up-to-date in case the situation changes.
Watch and act – start taking action
Heightened level of threat
Conditions are changing.
You need to start taking action and prepare for very hot
conditions.
Emergency warning – act immediately
Highest level of warning
You need to act immediately.
Drink water, stay indoors or seek out air-conditioned places. Be aware of heat stress, and check on family
and friends, especially the elderly.
Related links
Last reviewed: 21-11-2024
Produced by
Disaster Preparedness and Management Directorate