Severe weather emergency help in Newcastle

Find out information for people who are sleeping rough, and the additional arrangements that will be put in place to protect people when there are ‘severe weather conditions’.

The Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is a plan to help people who sleep outside when the weather is very cold or very hot.

Cold weather help

The SWEP measures will be activated when the MET office predicts temperatures will be 0 c or lower for 3 days in a row. We will:

  • offer a safe place to stay for people sleeping rough
  • help people to return to where they are from if they are not from Newcastle 

Hot weather help

The SWEP measures will be activated when the MET office issues an Amber heat warning. We will give people:

  • water
  • reusable water bottles
  • sun Cream
  • information on places to go to cool down and get help
  • tips to stay cool

Who can get help?

You can get help if you are found to be sleeping rough in Newcastle.

Contact Housing Advice Centre

If you are at risk of homelessness or need housing advice contact the Housing Advice Centre (HAC). They will look at your situation and give you confidential advice to try to help you stay in your home or find one that suits your needs.

If you have nowhere to stay tonight, contact the Housing Advice Centre. You can speak to an out of hours call handler when the HAC is closed

Severe Weather Emergency Protocol

The full Severe Weather Emergency Protocol is available to view below.

Newcastle City Council SWEP 2025-2026 (PDF, 124KB)

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