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| An elderly couple by the sea |
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The Met Office has today (3 July) issued further warnings of high temperatures affecting much of the UK, and has raised the Heat-Health alert to Level 3, the first time this level has been reached since the service was started in 2004.
High temperatures can have dramatic effects on people's health, especially the elderly and the young. A Level 3 alert is triggered when it is confirmed that a major heatwave will occur.
Advice to prevent the potential dangers of heat exhaustion, dehydration and sunstroke :
Avoid the hottest part of the day – between 11am and 3pm
Be aware of the needs of elderly relatives or neighbours and encourage them to drink plenty of water and take cool showers or baths - although alcohol, tea and coffee should be avoided as they can worsen the effects of dehydration.
Heatwaves can be fatal. The Department of Health cites the result of the heatwave that stuck England in 2003 which brought about the death of over 2,000 people, mainly those aged 75 or older.
For the young there is also the increased risk of sunburn - as the Solar UV index rating is 7 which means that the risk of damage to your skin is very high depending on your skin-type. So don't forget to wear a hat and slap on the cream - factor 15 or higher.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy downpours are also expected through this week, with the potential for localised flooding, disruption to electricity supplies, damage from large hailstones and strong gusty winds around the storms.
These storms are expected to affect different parts of the country at varying times.
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