Temperatures around the UK have continued to climb year after year, causing a cascade of problems from an increase in various health needs to challenges in transportation. Last week alone, there were more than three days when it was 21 degrees Celsius or above across Scotland, with much warmer weather in the southern areas of the UK.

The issues created by these conditions are being compounded by the cost-of-living crisis. During the winter months, families struggled with the high gas prices as they tried to keep their homes warm and now they are faced with the challenge of keeping cool. As many people are reaching for their fans to cool off from high temperatures, others are hesitating due to the increased electricity costs. Most homes in the UK do not have air conditioning units, which is one of the quickest ways to beat the heat.

Due to the undeniable effects of global warming, Scotland has been experiencing high temperatures more frequently and for longer periods. The Met Office has predicted that 2023 is expected to be hotter than 2022 and that it will be one of the warmest years on record. Everyone will need to be prepared to manage the new reality of dangerously hot summer days in Scotland.

If you are not used to such temperatures, things can quickly turn deadly. Heatstroke could become more common as temperatures increase which will mean more people attending A&E. Many people across the country may have never heard of this condition so it is important to know the symptoms.

Heatstroke or heat exhaustion is where your body gets overheated and the main way to treat this is to move to a cooler place and drink plenty of fluids. According to the NHS, the key warning signs of heat exhaustion that people should be aware of include tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick, excessive sweating, cramps in arms, legs, and stomach, fast breathing, weakness, a high temperature, and being very thirsty. Increasing awareness of these symptoms will be essential to keeping family members – and pets – safe during these warm months.

Inevitably some populations will be more vulnerable to heatstroke than others. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, where extreme heat is more common, infants and children up to four years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications are all at greater risk.

These vulnerable populations are also some of the same groups who are suffering disproportionately from the cost-of-living crisis. A recent report showed that children raised in poor areas of the UK are shorter than their European peers. GPs in poorer areas of the country are reporting a resurgence of Victorian diseases such as rickets and scurvy caused by nutritional deficiencies. If changes aren’t made quickly, the cost-of-living crisis will have a detrimental impact on the development of children across the country. And the added challenges posed by extreme heat will only make things worse.

Dr Gwenetta Curry is a lecturer in race, ethnicity and health at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine in the University of Edinburgh

Climate change in Scotland: Why dangerously hot weather is not just a threat to our health – Dr Gwenetta Curry

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