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Ed Hunter · 7 answers · 2y

If your national weather service (Met Office in the UK), advised of severe temperatures that could kill the elderly and vulnerable, would you dismiss it as scaremongering or take precautions?

I don’t think it’s scaremongering. It’s going to hit 40 degrees in some parts of the UK. We’re not used to anywhere near that kind of temperature. Our homes and workplaces are not designed for it, and neither is our transport system. Virtually no one has air conditioning in their homes, and unless you happen to work in a modern shop or office, most don’t have air conditioning at work either. The majority of people will be hot and bothered but fine. A minority will suffer quite badly. A couple of years ago, I had to phone an ambulance for an elderly man who was sitting at a bus stop in the blazing sunshine wearing a vest, shirt, and thick jumper, with nothing to keep the sun off his head - and it was only about about 25/26 degrees. I asked his wife if he’d had anything to drink. She said he’d had a cup of tea with his breakfast - this was now lunchtime. (I’ve never figured out why older people won’t drink water.) The NHS is struggling as it is at the moment, don’t needlessly add to the burden by not following a few simple guidelines.

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