Surrey GP offers advice midst heatwave
A Surrey GP has said we can take inspiration from sports people as well as controlling the space we are in, to cope in the heat
With temperatures set to be back in the 30s this weekend, a Surrey GP has offered advice on how to cope with the heat.
A yellow heat health alert has been extended to all regions in England.
The highest temperatures are forecast for today (Saturday) but the health alert will remain in place until Tuesday.
Nerida Burnie, who works near Thames Ditton, says that there are many ways that people can try to cool off.
One suggestion she offers is by controlling the space that you are in.
"Buildings in the UK aren't built for this sustained heat, so it can be really hard to get cool in the buildings where you work or live, so one of the challenges is working out how you can make your space as comfortable a temperature as possible.
"That involves opening everything up when the weather cools, either at night, or early in the morning, and encouraging a cross-breeze" she said:
Nerida also says that we can take advice from sports people on lowering our body temperature.
"If you about what you notice when you see sports people using an ice towel, they put that cold ice on areas of the body where the blood vessels are closest to the skin, so across your wrists, across your neck.
"If you can get nice cold contact to those points, it's going to really make an effect on cooling you down."
Steve Cole, policy director at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) , said: "Heat is no longer just a holiday perk - it's a growing public health risk. We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities."