St John Ambulance heatwave safety advice as Fylde coast braced for record temperatures

With the Met Office having issued amber weather warnings for tomorrow amid expected temperatures over over 35°C, the Fylde coast is braced for record-breaking heat.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Lancashire is 35.5C, which was registered on July 19, 2022. With that threshold expected to be broken, St John Ambulance has issued safety advice to ensure that everyone stays as safe as possible.

Medical Director Dr Lynn Thomas is stressing the importance in being able to spot symptoms and treat common heat related conditions such as heat exhaustion, heatstroke, sunburn, and dehydration.

Heat exhaustion

Typical symptoms

• Headache
• Dizziness and confusion
• Loss of appetite and feeling sick
• Sweating with pale clammy skin
• Cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
• Fast, weakening pulse and breathing

Treating heat exhaustion

• Move out of the sun, into shade
• Lie down in a cool place and raise their legs
• Drink lots of water to drink or isotonic sports drinks
• Check breathing, pulse and responsiveness
• Get medical advice. Call 999/112 if you are concerned

Heatstroke

Heatstroke should be suspected when someone becomes unwell with altered behaviour or reduced consciousness in hot conditions, particularly if they are very hot.

The initial first response is:

• Shade: get them out of the sun or away from the heat source
• Strip: take all extra layers off the person, ideally down to their underwear
• Spray: spray misted water over the patient or pour cool water over them
• Fan: waft air across them with a fan to promote evaporation
• Heatstroke can be life threatening. If someone is unconscious, fitting, or getting worse, call 999 immediately. If the patient becomes unresponsive, check their breathing.

Sunburn 

It’s important to avoid too much exposure to the sun by covering up with clothing, staying in the shade and applying high factor sunscreen. Most sunburn is mild, but in severe cases the skin can become damaged, turn lobster red and blister. They may also develop heat exhaustion.

Symptoms of sunburn include:

• Reddened skin
• Pain in the area of the burn
• There may be blistering

Treating sunburn

• Move out of the sun, into shade
• Cover the skin with light clothing
• Sip cold water
• Cool the skin with cool water for 10 minutes
• Apply aftersun cream or spray, or a perfume-free moisturiser to soothe mild sunburn
• If there are blisters, see a healthcare professional.
• Treat any symptoms of heat exhaustion or heatstroke and get medical help.

Dehydration

Dehydration happens when someone loses more fluid than they take in, especially if it’s really hot outside, so make sure you’re sipping lots of water at regular intervals.

There are four key things to look for

• Headaches and light-headedness
• Dry mouth, eyes and lips
• Passing only small amounts of dark urine
• Muscle cramps

Treating dehydration

• Move them out of the sun, into shade
• Sit down and drink plenty of water to drink
• Consumer a oral rehydration solution to drink will help replace salt and other minerals
• With painful cramps, rest, stretch and massage any muscles that hurt
• If still feeling unwell once they’re rehydrated then encourage them to see a healthcare professional straight away.

If left untreated, someone with dehydration can develop heat exhaustion, which is more serious, so it’s important to make sure they rehydrate themselves as soon as possible.