How do I prepare my apartment for a heatwave?

Before the heat arrives, buy a fan or cooler while stock lasts, fit external or thermal window shading, freeze some water bottles, and plan which room will be your cool retreat. Preparing in advance is far easier than scrambling once a heatwave hits and the shops sell out.

What should I do during a heatwave day in a flat?

Shade and close windows on the sunny side, keep the flat sealed against the hotter outside air, switch off heat-producing appliances, drink water steadily, and stay in your coolest room. Save ventilation for the night when the outside air finally drops below your indoor temperature.

What's the most important thing to do in a heatwave?

Block the sun before it heats your rooms, by shading windows from outside. It's the single highest-impact step. Combine it with night ventilation and a fan, keep one room cool, and look after vulnerable people and pets, and you'll handle most heatwaves comfortably.

Heatwave Checklist for German Apartments

A heatwave is far easier to handle with a plan. This checklist covers what to do before it arrives, through the hot day, and at night — so you stay cool instead of scrambling. Keep it handy when the forecast turns.

Before the heatwave arrives

Preparation is everything, because the best cooling gear sells out within hours once a heatwave hits:

Buy your fan, air cooler, or mobile AC early — before demand spikes and shelves empty. Check what's in stock near you.
Fit window shading — external blinds, or thermal/blackout curtains, on the sunny side.
Freeze water bottles for the fan-and-ice trick and for cold drinks.
Plan your cool retreat — decide which room you'll keep coolest.
Set a back-in-stock alert if your preferred unit is already sold out.

During the hot day

Keep heat out and stay sealed:

Shade windows from outside before the sun hits them.
Keep windows and doors closed while it's hotter outside than in.
Switch off heat sources — oven, dryer, idle electronics, unnecessary lights.
Stay hydrated — drink water steadily so your body can cool itself.
Stay in your coolest room and keep it closed off.

At night

Flush the heat and bank cool air:

Ventilate hard once the outside air drops below indoors (Stoßlüften — see our night cooling guide).
Open opposite windows for a strong cross-breeze.
Put a fan at a window facing out to push hot air outside.
Pre-cool the bedroom if using an air cooler or AC, then seal and shade before morning.

Look after the vulnerable

Check on the people and animals who feel heat most:

Babies, the elderly, and the unwell — keep their rooms coolest and check often. See keeping babies cool.
Pets — fresh water, shade, and never left in hot spaces. See keeping pets cool.
Know the warning signs of heat stress and act early.

Keep one room as a retreat

You don't need to cool the whole flat. Concentrate shading, sealing, ventilation, and any cooling gear on one room, and close it off from the rest. A single comfortable room to sleep, work, and wait out the afternoon makes any heatwave manageable.

The takeaway

Handle a heatwave with preparation, not panic: buy cooling gear early, shade and seal by day, ventilate hard at night, keep one room cool, and watch over the vulnerable. Work through this checklist when the forecast turns, and start by checking what's in stock near you before the heat — and the shortages — arrive.

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