BBC Weather: Carol Kirkwood issues warning for 'extreme heat'

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Parts of the UK have been experiencing blistering temperatures this past week, with severe weather warnings out across southern parts. Temperatures have gone above 30C in London and on the south coast, and the balmy temperatures look to stay for at least another few weeks.

Public Health England extended its heat-health alert until Friday, July 23, as temperatures hit 32.2C at Heathrow Airport this week.

The Met Office has issued two new-style extreme heat weather warnings and told people to watch out for sunburn and heat exhaustion.

Public Health England has advised people to stay out of the sun during the hottest hours of 11am to 3pm and to not drink excessive alcohol or take part in exercise during these parts of the day.

The Met Office is warning over the next few days many people could be at risk of sunburn or heat exhaustion.

This includes dehydration, nausea and fatigue, with the older generations more vulnerable to the serious risks of overheating.

Keep hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is essential regardless of whether it’s very hot or not.

Getting in eight glasses a day doesn’t just help cool you down but will help you concentrate much better.

Avoid tea or coffee, because caffeine will dehydrate you.

Freeze a hot water bottle

Just as you would in the winter, try using a hot water bottle and turning it into a cold water bottle.

Freeze it, though, rather than fill it with boiling water, and sit with it against your feet.

Your feet and ankles are particularly sensitive to heat, as they have lots of pulse points, so popping something cool against them will initiate a cool-down effect throughout the rest of your body.

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Shut out the sun

It might seem counter-intuitive to close the windows and blinds, but it can actually go a long way in reducing the temperature in your house.

Keep a fan on near you to make up for the lack of breeze from closed windows.

Open the windows again in the late evening when the temperature has cooled to let cool and fresh air circulate.

Ice bowl and a fan

One very effective trick to cool yourself and your surroundings down is to place a bowl of ice and water in front of a fan.

This hack works because as the ice melts the breeze from the fan will pick up the cool air coming from the ice’s surface.

It might not be as effective as having air conditioning, but it works well enough to stave off the worst of the hot weather.

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