12:54 BST
Malu Cursino
Live reporter
Image source, Ron FassbenderImage caption,
For Powell and others who are part of Mothers Rise Up, a shift to renewable energy (like solar) is the only way to “stop making the problem worse”
An NHS urgent care doctor tells the BBC she’s seen an increase in the number of patients being admitted to her east London hospital during the current heatwave.
Dr Lorna Powell, who is also co-director of climate action group Mothers Rise Up, says she and her colleagues are seeing more older patients with complex health needs requiring treatment. These patients can struggle to regulate their body temperatures – making it difficult to stay cool during heatwaves.
Even without other health issues, extreme heat takes a toll on all of us. That’s because “your body has to work overtime to keep you cool and maintain a stable core temperature”, Powell explains.
We also become dehydrated more easily in high temperatures, and our blood vessels dilate putting an additional strain on the heart.
Higher-than-normal temperatures are becoming more frequent due to human-induced climate change. To mitigate the health impacts, Dr Powell says we should adapt our homes to extreme heat and educate people about how they can stay safe.
Elsewhere, Stuart Crichton, director of 999 operations at London Ambulance Service, told BBC London yesterday was the service’s “busiest day in the last 12 months as we get into the amber heat warning”.