Nine heat health alerts are in place across England as the UK enjoys a rare heatwave, with the government warning excess deaths are expected.
Many will welcome the sunshine after weeks of an extraordinarily disappointing summer.
But for those over 65, or with conditions such as asthma, the warm weather can be hard to cope with especially in a country where air conditioning is scarce.
The Government is preparing for a spike in heat-related deaths, as bodies must work harder to stay at a safe temperature, making heart attacks and strokes more likely as well as worsening asthma and lung conditions.
This effects begin to kick in above 25°C or 26°C, with around 2,000 deaths in hot weather each year on average in England.
Yellow alerts for ‘significant impacts’ from heat are in place for London, the South East, South West, East of England, West Midlands, East Midlands, and Yorkshire and The Humber.
Green alerts for minor impacts are in place for the North East and North West.
Erika Radford, from Asthma + Lung UK, said: ‘Hot summer weather can bring on asthma symptoms like chest tightness, coughing, breathlessness and wheezing for some people.
‘The exact causes are not fully understood, but it’s thought that the warmer air may cause the airways to narrow. Additionally, during hot weather, there tends to be an increase in pollen levels, which can trigger potentially life-threatening asthma attacks.
‘Hot and humid weather can also worsen symptoms in people with other lung conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially if you become dehydrated.
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‘If you have a preventer inhaler, we advise you use to use it every day as prescribed . This will help build up protection in your airways over time and reduce the risk of hot weather affecting your condition. And if you use a reliever inhaler, always keep it with you for quick relief if you get symptoms.’
The UK Health Security Agency warned of the yellow warning areas: ‘Significant impacts are possible across the health and social care sector due to the high temperatures.’
Increased deaths are ‘likely’, they said, particularly for the elderly and for those with health conditions, ‘but impacts may also be seen in younger age groups’.
There would likely be increased demand for remote healthcare services, while temperatures in hospitals and care homes could go above the threshold recommended in clinical risk assessments.
Many indoor areas are likely to ‘overheat’ making it more difficult for people to work.
This could lead ‘to increased risk to vulnerable people living independently in the community as well as in care settings’.
If you have family, friends or neighbours who are isolated or may be at an increased risk, check they are able to keep cool during a heatwave.
As well as the heat warnings, the Met Office issued warnings for thunderstorms tomorrow and on Thursday, saying there is the potential for ‘danger to life’ floods and travel disruption after the hot conditions break.
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