Heatwave warning from UK's largest ambulance service tells Brits two things to avoid

Heatwave warning from UK's largest ambulance service tells Brits two things to avoid The London Ambulance service said life-threatening emergencies soared by 50% as Britain endured its hottest June day on record and hospitals came under mounting pressure. The UK’s biggest ambulance service has issued an urgent heatwave warning with key recommendations for people to stay safe. Brits have been urged to avoid exercising outdoors and drinking too much alcohol after the the London Ambulance Service (LAS) responded to its highest-ever number of life-threatening emergencies on Wednesday and said it expected demand to continue rising. Chief operating officer Craig Harman urged people to stay hydrated, avoid the hottest parts of the day and think twice before exercising outside as temperatures continued to climb. He said: “I’m saying to people I need you to drink water even when you’re not thirsty, staying out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, and particularly not exercising outside and putting your body under additional heat and strain.” As football fans prepare to watch England’s next World Cup match on Saturday, the chief operating officer also urged people drinking alcohol to drink plenty of water in between. The stark warning came as Britain baked through another day of soaring temperatures, with the Met Office provisionally recording 36.7C in Somerset - making it the hottest June day on record. London Ambulance Service said it received 50% more life-threatening emergency calls than on a typical Wednesday in June, while the number of cardiac arrests rose by 30%. The heatwave drive by a “heat-dome” has already caused widespread disruption across the country as schools and nurseries closed their doors, several hospitals declared critical incidents and rail passengers were urged to avoid unnecessary travel as soaring temperatures put pressure on services. The soaring temperatures have also been linked to a string of serious incidents across the UK. In Wales, a 50-year-old man died after entering the water at Aberavon beach, while firefighters in Derbyshire continued tackling a large wildfire on Tintwistle Moor. With human-driven climate change, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels is making such heatwaves more frequent and intense. The Met Office has extended its red heat warning until Friday evening across London and parts of southern and eastern England, while amber and yellow warnings remain in force elsewhere. Forecasters said eastern parts of England were expected to see the highest temperatures on Friday before cooler conditions finally arrived over the weekend.