Bristol Harbour Festival issues hot weather warning

The Met Office has issued a Level 3 Heat-Health Alert as of Monday 11 July and an amber extreme heat weather warning as temperatures are predicted to rise over this weekend, just in time for Bristol Harbour Festival.

This indicates that weather conditions could pose a threat of serious illness or danger to life if festival-goers don’t take sensible measures to stay cool.

Although visitors are likely to welcome the hot weather in time for celebrating Bristol Harbour Festival’s 50th anniversary, festival organisers Bristol City Council urge all attendees, performers, and staff to stay cool and be aware of others in the heat.

The festival will be handing out guides to event staff with advice on staying cool and hydrated over the weekend, as well as advice for festival goers on social media and across the city’s media channels.

Festival goers should bring their own refillable bottle and sip water throughout the day to keep hydrated, while avoiding sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol. Bristol Harbour Festival is partnering with Refill, who have installed over 500 water refill stations in Bristol. These are in addition to the pre-existing water points on the event site, including one at Queen Square and Millennium Square.

Festival goers can download the Refill app to locate their closest refill station. This aims to encourage frequent and easy access to water, as demand is expected to be high for the traders providing on-site refreshments. To download the app visit: https://www.refill.org.uk/refill-bristol/.

Staying out of direct sunlight and taking breaks in the shade are also advised for festival goers to keep cool. With Bristol Harbour Festival taking place across 1.5 miles of the city centre, visitors can easily catch a break from the heat by popping into one of the many bars and shops surrounding the action.

To avoid overcrowding in shaded spaces, key event personnel will be assessing the site before it opens to the public so that appropriate measures can be taken to manage overpopulated areas. Due to the limited shady outdoor spaces, festival goers are advised to not bring their dogs and limit the time young children spend in the sun.

Pontoon Marshalls have been made aware of the increased risk of individuals attempting to swim in the harbour Under no circumstances should visitors enter the water. Entering the water presents significant risks including cold water shock, boat strike, hazardous objects under the water, strong currents, and illness and infection.

Applying sunscreen regularly (SPF30+), wearing loose fitting clothing and hats, and eating small, lighter snacks rather than large hot meals are also a few of the actions that Bristol Harbour Festival are encouraging festival goers to take over the weekend.

Matt Mellen, City to Sea’s Refill Manager commented, “As Bristol heats up and we all head out to enjoy the Harbour Festival, the Refill app is here to help Bristolians stay cool. We now have over 500 refill stations around Bristol. Simply bring a reusable water bottle and download the refill app to help stay hydrated and stay safe whilst also saving some money and saving some plastic at the same time.”

Bristol Harbour Festival aims to keep community spirit high even in adverse weather conditions and urges event attendees to look out for each other over the weekend.

Symptoms of heat stress/exhaustion include dark or strong-smelling urine, headache, excessive sweating, fainting, muscle cramps, feeling sick, thirst, fast breathing, and pale and clammy skin.

While First Aid services will be available on site, Bristol Harbour Festival urges attendees to act if they spot any of the above symptoms. If someone is spotted suffering from heat stress, it is advised that they lie down with their feet slightly raised in a cooler place, be fanned, sprayed, or sponged with cold water and drink plenty of water.

If they do not show signs of improvement within 30 minutes, festival goers should seek medical assistance. First Aid services will be located across the festival site and any incidents should be reported to event stewards in each festival area.