As the summer arrives a few days early in Edinburgh, parents will be getting the BBQs started and the paddling pools dragged out for the kids.
Many will take to beaches, beer gardens and parks across the country to soak up every last minute of the sun - but there are risks that come with bathing in the rays.
As well as getting sunburnt and walking around like a Drumstick sweet for days, the risk of heatstroke and exhaustion is also very common.
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Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes. If it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.
According to the NHS website, the main risks posed by a heatwave are not drinking enough water, overheating or heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
A heatwave can affect anyone, but the most vulnerable people are:
- older people – especially those over 75 and female
- those who live on their own or in a care home
- people who have a serious or long-term illness including heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson's disease or some mental health conditions
- people who are on multiple medicines that may make them more likely to be badly affected by hot weather
- those who may find it hard to keep cool – babies and the very young, the bed bound, those with drug or alcohol addictions or with Alzheimer's disease
- people who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places – those who live in a top-floor flat, the homeless or those whose jobs are outside
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The NHS have released some helpful tips on how to cope in the hot weather, which include:
Keep out of the heat if you can
If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm, wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter
Have cold food and drinks, avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks, and have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes
Keep your living space cool. Close windows during the day and open them at night when the temperature outside has gone down
Check the temperature of rooms, especially where people at higher risk live and sleep
If you or someone else feels unwell with a high temperature during hot weather, it may be heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Symptoms of heatstroke or heat exhaustion
The signs of heat exhaustion include:
- tiredness
- dizziness
- headache
- feeling sick or being sick
- excessive sweating and skin becoming pale and clammy or getting a heat rash, but a change in skin colour can be harder to see on brown and black skin
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- fast breathing or heartbeat
- a high temperature
- being very thirsty
- weakness
The symptoms of heat exhaustion are often the same in adults and children, although children may become irritable too. If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion they need to be cooled down and given fluids.
How to cool down if you have heat exhaustion
If someone has heat exhaustion, follow these 4 steps:
- Move them to a cool place
- Remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks
- Get them to drink a sports or rehydration drink, or cool water
- Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs, wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck are good too
Stay with them until they're better. They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.
You should only contact 999 if the signs of heatstroke worsen, including the following:
- If you or someone else is still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids
- Has a very high temperature
- Hot skin that's not sweating and might look red - this can be harder to see on brown and black skin
- A fast heartbeat
- Fast breathing or shortness of breath
- A seizure or fit
- Confusion and lack of coordination
- Loss of consciousness
Put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness while you're waiting for help.
For more information, visit the NHS Inform website for more details on how to deal with warm weather, and what to do if you take unwell due to the heat.
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