Most of us welcome hot weather, but when it's too hot for too long there are health risks. If a heatwave hits this summer, make sure the hot weather doesn't harm you or anyone you know.
It’s important to protect yourself from too much sun or heat, to carry water when travelling and to think of those, such as young children or older people, who may feel the heat more than others.
Many people enjoy hot weather but there can be serious health consequences from too much heat and vulnerable groups are at risk in particularly hot spells.
Follow our advice below, or visit the NHS website for some top tips on coping in hot weather.
Hydrate
By the time you start feeling thirsty, you are already becoming dehydrated. To avoid becoming severely dehydrated you should drink a glass of water, and continue to drink water or non-alcoholic fluid at regular intervals throughout the day.
You should aim to drink around 1.5 - 2 litres (around 8 - 10 200ml glasses) of fluid per day to stay hydrated.
Remember to drink more when you spend time in hot environments, or when you exercise or increase your activity levels.
Protect
There is no such thing as healthy tanning. Instead of tanning, we encourage everyone to own their own natural skin tone.
Sunscreens will not protect us completely from sun damage on their own. However, they can be useful for protecting the parts of skin we can’t shade or cover. This is why we recommend using sunscreens together with shade or clothing to avoid getting too much UV exposure.
We recommend buying sunscreens with a:
- Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 (UVB protection)
- High star rating with 4 or 5 stars (UVA protection)
UVA protection can also be indicated by the letters ‘UVA’ in a circle which indicates that it meets the EU standard. Low cost, highly rated 4 or 5 star sun protection products are available at budget supermarkets.
Seek Shade
Spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October.
Make sure you:
- spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm
- make sure you do not burn
- cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses
- take extra care with children
Tips for using sun protection properly
Make sure you put enough sunscreen on – people often apply much less than they need to. When your risk of burning is high apply sunscreen evenly and thickly. As a guide for an adult this means: Around 2 teaspoonful’s of sunscreen if you're just covering your head, arms and neck.
Reapply sunscreen regularly throughout the day including ‘once a day’ and ‘water resistant’ products. Sunscreen can rub, sweat or wash off. It’s especially important to reapply after towelling dry. And reapplying helps avoid missing bits of skin.
Don’t store sunscreens in very hot places as extreme heat can ruin their protective chemicals.
Check the expiry date on your sunscreen before you use it. Look for a symbol on the pot with the letter M and a number which shows the number of months the sunscreen will last once it’s been opened.
Sunscreen shouldn’t be used to extend your time in the sun. Worryingly, research suggests people who use sunscreen to deliberately sunbathe are more likely to spend longer in the sun, and might even be more likely to get sunburnt. Higher factor sunscreens may lure people into a false sense of security.
No sunscreen, no matter how high the factor, can provide 100% protection.