Maddie Crossling, senior digital PR consultant at Evolved: “The best way to secure coverage during a heatwave is by tapping into the conversations people are already having.

"I like to keep an eye on Reddit threads and TikTok hashtags to spot the real-time questions, tips and frustrations people are sharing. This offers early insight into the everyday challenges people face - and helps you to build expert-led stories that feel timely and genuinely useful.

"I just spotted a thread in r/AskUK debating whether you should open your windows or shut your curtains when it’s hot. It’s sparked hundreds of replies, showing just how many people are looking for ways to keep cool.

"This kind of conversation creates opportunities across multiple sectors. By staying close to these conversations, you can pitch commentary that meets real demand and gives journalists something relevant, helpful and grounded in public interest.”

Abigail Outhwaite, associate director at PR Agency One: “Heatwaves offer excellent opportunities to place coverage for retail and FMCG brands and we’ve generated many headlines this way over the years. We utilise search and social listening to anticipate weather trends and run stories on everything from increases in search volumes and sales, to product shortages or items selling out.

“Anecdotally, in the past we have seen that many clients’ warm weather products — whether it’s air conditioners and air purifiers, barbecues and garden furniture, outdoor toys or outdoor sports equipment — usually experience significant sales spikes when the temperature suddenly increases. Speak to your sales team or take a look at your Google Analytics, and you’ll usually find the data supports these types of stories.

“For our health and wellness clients, it’s always beneficial to share expert comments or advice from clinical staff, providing timely medical, fitness or wellbeing guidance to help the public take sensible precautions ahead of a heatwave.

“The weather reporter for the Daily Mail admitted to us that they try to run a weather story at least every other day, so they’re always good journalists to pitch to, as well as the usual consumer affairs and newsdesk contacts.“

Rachel Roberts, CEO at Leopard Co: “Heatwaves are a goldmine of opportunity when it comes to PR campaigns. The trick is thinking about the questions people are asking and figuring out how you can fit into that conversation.

“Such as, how can I keep my home cool at night, where’s the best place to grab a pint after work and, how can I protect my dog from heatstroke.

“Journalists will be looking to answer these questions for their readers; you can make their life easier by providing that context for them.

“We recently ran a campaign with our client Eat Drink Meet indexing the best beer gardens in the UK (as featured in Good and Bad PR), but knew waiting for a heatwave or bout of warm weather was the right approach.

“It came sooner than later so we turned the campaign around double-quick time, and earned tonnes of regional coverage for our client.”

Jamie Graham, creative lead at Story Shop: “At Story Shop, we believe the best campaigns are born when a brand’s truth meets an authentic cultural moment, and Innis & Gunn’s 3PM Pledge was exactly that.

"With a mighty heatwave set to hit Scotland, we turned around this idea in just four working days. The pitch to our client Innis & Gunn was, if it hits 20°C, let your team clock off at 3pm, crack a cold one, and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

"As a brand that’s proudly brewed by Scotland, it got how sacred a sunny day is here — and they weren’t afraid to back that with action. The media loved it. We landed nationals, regionals, and trade, including The Scotsman, The Scottish Sun, Scottish Daily Express, Daily Star, The Herald, Edinburgh Evening News, and more—plus strong organic pickup on social. Most importantly, people got involved. Workplaces signed up, beers were delivered, and sunny pints were had. A proper example of what happens when a bold idea, a willing client and a rare Scottish heatwave collide.”

Lauren Shelley, senior digital PR executive at Marketing Signals: “As soon as a heatwave hits, you can bet most journalists’ inboxes will be inundated with top tips to keep cool during a heatwave or how to sleep during a heatwave.

“This means you’re going to need to try something else, or if you’re going to try scoring this kind of media coverage, then you need to be original and try to find a unique angle or feature quirkier tips to cut through the noise. Basically, you need to be quick, different, relevant and authentic.

“For example, we work at a remote agency, so we recently put together some tips for keeping cool while you WFH, such as a DIY air con, plus whether there’s a legally mandated maximum or minimum working temperature in the UK. For another client that sells bamboo bedding, we promoted the benefits of switching to bamboo bedding and how it keeps you cool. We've also done a campaign around the dangers for pets in the heat, including how to keep them safe, plus what to do if you think they're suffering from heat stroke.”

Jasmine Maguire, senior PR account manager at Bottle: “Did someone say a heatwave? When weather updates note that word, the media soon become hyper-focused on stories that help their readers cope with extreme temperatures. While this is a great opportunity for PRs to secure quality coverage, we need to strategically connect clients' topics with journalists’ needs.

“The key is to identify topical pain points (free tools like AnswerThePublic are great) and match them with your clients’ credible voices ahead of time. Journalists value expertise that enhances their stories so sharing actionable expert advice, with quirky or shocking angles, tends to work best as it can be easily quoted or turned into listicles.

“At Bottle, we also monitor weather alerts, trends, and news every morning to ensure we offer lightning-fast commentary. Typically, the news cycle of a heatwave increases rapidly and then drops off just as quickly. That means if your client takes longer than a couple of hours to sign off, you need to get the content pre-approved. We had a heatless heatwave recipe from Gousto approved a month before a heatwave hit. A month of no coverage for a story? It seems worrying, but managing client expectations and holding out to pitch for the heatwave landed us top-tier titles like The Independent. Ultimately, timing and relevance are everything during a heatwave.”