The British Red Cross has advised people to eat four specific foods—strawberries, cucumber, celery, and lettuce—to help stay hydrated during the UK's rare red heat alert. The Met Office issued the red warning for large parts of southern and central England and Wales, effective from 9am Wednesday until late Thursday night, as temperatures hit a record 36.1°C on Wednesday and could climb to 38°C on Thursday.
Recommended Foods for Hydration
According to the British Red Cross, "When it's hot, you are far better off sticking to light, well-balanced, regular meals. Food with a high water content, like strawberries, cucumber, celery, and lettuce, will also help to keep you hydrated and cool in summer weather." These foods have high fluid content that can boost hydration levels during the heatwave.
What to Avoid
The Red Cross also cautioned against drinking alcohol and caffeine during the heatwave. Alcohol can disrupt sleep, while caffeinated drinks are diuretics that may encourage fluid loss and increase body temperature. The organization stated: "Alcohol often goes hand in hand with sunny weather but, it is advised to limit consumption especially in the evening but causes poorer quality of sleep. Caffeinated drinks are diuretics and may encourage your body to lose fluids, risking dehydration as well as increase your body temperatures."
Heatwave Impact
The Met Office warned that the heat and humidity are "oppressive" and pose a threat to public health, infrastructure, and power and water supplies. Hundreds of schools have closed, and trains have been disrupted or cancelled. An amber alert also covers much of England and Wales for Friday and Saturday. Met Office Chief Forecaster Matthew Lehnert said: "This is exceptional heat for June with temperature records expected to be broken this week. Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events, and we're expecting significant impacts from this heatwave, with health issues likely, even beyond those who are more vulnerable to the heat. High humidity is an additional factor for this heatwave, which will mean the heat will feel much more potent for many. When you couple all of this with the high overnight temperatures, with temperatures likely to stay above 20°C for large parts of England and Wales, these combined impacts all increase the potential for significant impacts."
