Heatwaves
Keep Yourself Safe
What Are Heatwaves?
Heatwaves are local weather patterns of prolonged high temperatures that are becoming more common because of human-caused climate change. Emissions of gases like carbon dioxide accumulate in the Earth’s atmosphere and cause the greenhouse effect, trapping energy from the sun in the atmosphere. This makes heatwaves more likely.
In July 2022 the UK experienced an extreme heatwave. Temperatures of above 40 degrees C were recorded in the UK for the first time (40.3C in Lincolnshire), and temperature records were set Wales (37.1C) and Scotland (34.8C) too. Trains were disrupted, flights were grounded and road surfaces began to melt. Emergency services were impacted as several fire services declared major incidents and ambulance calls increased.
How Do Heatwaves Affect Our Health?
Hot weather is dangerous to everyone, especially the very old and very young, or those with pre-existing health conditions. Once temperatures reach above 30C, the risk of serious illness and death increases with every degree. Above 40C can cause thousands of fatalities, as seen in the UK in 2022.
The main ways in which hot weather affects our health are:
• Hot weather can cause dehydration, heatstroke, and death for anyone
• Heat can worsen existing heart and lung conditions, increase the risk of pressure sores in those who have reduce mobility, and can cause delirium and confusion.
• Sunburn can be serious and significantly increases your risk of skin cancer – severe sunburn can require hospital admission.
• Heatwaves increase the likelihood of wildfires and droughts, which pose their own threats to human health and infrastructure, as well as cause food shortages and exacerbate the cost of living crisis.
Advice for Patients
British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Red Cross have some excellent resources on keeping safe during hot weather
Signs and Symptoms to Look Out For
Dehydration - Symptoms include: dry mouth, feeling thirsty and passing dark urine, or no urine at all during a day.
Ensure you drink more fluids; water, sports drinks or rehydration drinks are good options. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. If not treated, dehydration can progress to heat exhaustion.
Heat Exhaustion - Symptoms include those of dehydration plus dizziness, headache, vomiting, cramps, weakness, fast heartbeat, confusion. Someone with heat exhaustion needs to be cooled down within 30 minutes.
Important steps to take include: removing unnecessary clothing (and keep out of sunlight), cool with water or a fan, move to a cool place and drink cold fluids.
If not treated, it can progress to heatstroke
Heatstroke - Symptoms include those of dehydration and heat exhaustion, plus worsening confusion, hot skin but not sweating, shortness of breath, seizures or becoming unconscious.
Anyone with these symptoms needs immediate medical care. If someone does not have these symptoms, but is still unwell after 30 minutes of effective cooling, they might be suffering from heatstroke.
Heat stroke is an emergency, you should call 999 and try to cool the person down quickly while waiting for help to arrive.
Prevention is Better than Cure!
For as long as humanity produces more greenhouse gases than the planet absorbs, heatwaves will become more intense and more frequent. But we can make a difference and prevent the worst effects of climate change!