Amber heat-health alert covers Cornwall until Friday night

Another warm week, another reason to keep a water bottle within reach. An amber heat-health alert is now in place across the South West, Cornwall included, and it stays up until 9pm on Friday. South Western Ambulance Service is the body flagging it, and the point is straightforward. Hot weather can make people ill, and some will feel it far more than others.

The risks when it stays hot

When the temperature sits high for days, the body has to work harder to keep cool, and a few problems start to show up more often. The first is dehydration, which creeps up quietly and is easy to miss until you already feel rough. The NHS has a plain guide to spotting dehydration and what to do about it.

Overheating is the next one, and it hits some people harder than others. Anyone with an existing heart or breathing condition is more exposed when the air is hot and still. Then there is heat exhaustion, which can tip into heatstroke if it is not caught early. Heatstroke is a medical emergency, and knowing the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke is worth a couple of minutes before the weekend.

📷Credit: UK Health Security Agency

How to stay well

The advice for getting through it is not complicated. Drink plenty of fluids across the day rather than waiting until you are thirsty. Stay in the shade when the sun is at its strongest, between 11am and 3pm. And go easy on hard physical activity during the hottest part of the day, whether that is a run, the garden, or a long walk on the coast path.

Check on the people nearby

The part that is easy to forget is other people. Older neighbours, anyone living alone, people with health conditions, and very young children are all more likely to struggle in the heat, and they are not always the ones to ask for help. South Western Ambulance Service is asking people to check in on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours through the warm spell. A knock on the door and a quick chat can catch a problem before it becomes a 999 call.

The alert runs until 9pm on Friday, so there are a few more warm days to get through first.

📷Heat wave of extreme sun and sky background. Hot weather with global warming concept. Temperature of Summer season.