The UK is enduring a severe heatwave with temperatures potentially reaching 40C, prompting a red health warning from the Met Office and UK Health Security Agency. BBC expert Dr Ranj Singh has outlined a '3pm rule' to help people avoid the most dangerous conditions and reduce health risks.
Retail Surge in Cooling Products
Retailers report a surge in sales of fans, ice cream makers, and sun cream as households scramble to cope. Currys revealed an almost 1,500% increase in customers searching for fans on its website compared with last weekend, alongside a 3,500% rise in searches for air conditioning products over the same period.
Lakeland reported that sales of electric fans were up by more than 100% on the previous four weeks, while sales of cool bags for transporting food rose by 262% and sales of ice cream makers climbed by more than 500% on certain lines.
Heat Dome and Red Warning
A 'heat dome' settling over western Europe is forecast to push temperatures to nearly 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to break the June record of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976. A red weather warning for extreme heat, covering an area from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham, was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.
Dr Ranj Singh's Advice on Timing
Speaking on BBC Morning Live, Dr Ranj Singh highlighted a common misconception about when the most dangerous time to venture outside actually is. He said: 'I just want people to be sensible. So, firstly, think about timings. Everyone wants to go out in the middle of the day. We know the sun's at its highest between about 11am to 3pm, but the heat is actually at its highest slightly later. It's sort of 3pm to 5pm. Why is that? Because buildings and the roads absorb the heat during the day and they radiate it back out again. So try and delay your any social activities to a little bit later in the evening ideally when it's a bit cooler.'
Protecting Vulnerable Groups
When it comes to looking after those who are most vulnerable, Dr Ranj said: 'This is really important. So, we're talking about people who might be very young, might be very old, might be pregnant, might have underlying medical conditions. Really important to check in on them, make sure they've got adequate supplies. I always make a point about breastfeeding babies. Make sure they're feeding properly. They might want to breastfeed more often.'
He added: 'Things I want people to look out for firstly heat exhaustion is what happens when you're exposed to heat for a long period of time and your body is still able to cope and still able to do stuff. Okay, so for that you want to cool down. You might want to move to cooler earlier, take your clothing off, have drinks, fans, etc. If you are not able to cool down adequately, then you're veering into heat stroke territory and that is a medical emergency. We want you to cool them down rapidly. You might use cool packs in the neck and in the groin in the armpits and you want to be calling 999.'
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke
The symptoms of heat exhaustion include: headache, dizziness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, excessive sweating, pale clammy skin, cramps in arms, legs, and stomach, fast breathing or pulse, temperature of 38C or above, and intense thirst. The symptoms are often the same in adults and children. If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down and given fluids.
The symptoms of heatstroke include: continued hot, red, dry skin, no longer sweating, a temperature of 40C or above, rapid heartbeat, rapid shallow breathing, confusion, loss of consciousness, and seizures. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Get immediate medical help if someone has the symptoms of heatstroke. For more information from the NHS, visit their website.
