People cool down at the fountains in Trafalgar Square, London yesterday (Picture: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
The NHS website has seen a 552% surge in people searching for heatstroke and heat exhaustion advice, as today could be the hottest day of the year.
There were 32,130 visits to the page offering heat-related health advice from Sunday to Thursday this week, compared to 4,928 visits for the same period last week, according to NHS England figures.
Temperatures could reach as high as 33°C in some parts of the country today, making it a recording-breaking fifth consecutive day in September at 30 degrees or higher.
So far, Thursday was the hottest day of the year, with 32.6°C recorded in Wisley, Surrey.
The UK Health Security Agency, which provides alerts for the health and social care sector in England, has issued an Amber Heat Health Alert across most of the country until 9pm tomorrow.
The warning highlights the risk to the elderly and those with certain pre-existing health conditions.
Dame Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said the heat could also pose a risk to children.
People leap into the sea in front of the derelict West Pier in Brighton this week (Picture: Daniel Leal/AFP)
She urged people to keep cool by drinking plenty of fluids and ‘dressing sensibly’.
‘We also advise using high-factor sun screen and limiting the amount of time you spend in the sun to avoid the risk of sunburn and to prevent skin cancer,’ she added.
The NHS advises that if someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down and given fluids.
If their condition doesn’t start to improve after 30 minutes, seek medical attention by calling 111 or 999 in an emergency.
The NHS recommends drinking plenty of cool water to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke (Picture: Getty Images)
Other NHS tips to avoid heat exhaustion include:
– Consume plenty of cold drinks, especially when exercising
– Take cool baths or showers
– Wear light-coloured, loose clothing
– Sprinkle water over skin or clothes
– Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm
– Avoid excess alcohol
– Avoid extreme exercise
People walk past a digital weather report in Potters Field near Tower Bridge, London on Thursday (Picture: PA)
Beachgoers enjoying the sun and the sea in Brighton (Picture: Daniel Leal/AFP)
The Met Office has forecast thundery showers this afternoon for some parts of the country, particularly for the East Midlands.
It will be another ‘very warm’ night tonight it said, with the risk of further isolated showers and thunderstorms.
Tomorrow is set to be another hot day, especially in the southeast, with a fair amount of cloud. More thunderstorms, moving north eastwards, are forecast.
Temperatures are due to drop a few degrees on Monday, with highs of around 26°C, falling to around 21°C on Tuesday.
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Temperatures could reach 33°C in some parts of the UK.