Extreme heat

It is very important for everyone to know what the effects of heatwaves are, who is at risk and what to do to prepare and how to cope.

See our Power dependency page, Healthy in the Heat: A guide to coping with hot weather and heatwaves (PDF 397KB) and the Healthy in the heat page for more information.

SA Health Extreme Heat Strategy

(This document is currently being reviewed)

The purpose of the SA Health Extreme Heat Strategy is to reduce the risk of harmful effects of extreme heat on the health of the community by:

  • ensuring a planned, managed, and effective response to a heatwave
  • providing a coordinated SA Health communication plan; and
  • promoting community resilience and adaptation to extreme heat conditions.

As part of the Strategy, health actions have been developed for implementation at each stage of ‘Extreme Heat’ Alerts. These alerts are issued by the SA State Emergency Service (SASES) in conjunction with the Adelaide Bureau of Metrology (BOM) Kent Town.

Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating

The Whole-of-Government Operating Principles on Days of Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating provides guidance to Health Services and Local Health Networks in developing operational procedures to ensure that critical services can be provided and staff delivering these services can do so safely.

The Fire Danger Rating (which is a National rating scale) forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology shortly after 4.00 pm each day for the next day is an early indicator of the potential danger should a bush fire start.

Further information

For further information, please contact the Disaster Management Branch:

Email: healthdisastermanagement@sa.gov.au
Telephone: (08) 7425 7065
Address: Citi Centre Building, 11-13 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide, South Australia