NHS web pages have seen a significant surge in traffic as the public sought crucial advice on navigating the recent record-breaking hot weather.
The increase comes after Tuesday marked the hottest May day on record for both England and Wales.
Kew Gardens provisionally registered a scorching 35.1C, while Cardiff Bute Park reached 32.9C, according to the Met Office.
While many enjoyed the sunny bank holiday weekend, health officials highlighted that older individuals and babies are particularly susceptible to the dangers of extreme heat.
The risks include dehydration and heat exhaustion, which occur when the body loses excessive water and salt.
These conditions can escalate to heatstroke, a potentially life-threatening illness.
NHS England reported a dramatic spike in visits to its heatstroke advice page, with 20,092 hits on bank holiday Monday alone, a stark contrast to just 488 the previous Monday. Over the entire weekend, the page accumulated 36,724 views.
Similarly, those seeking guidance on sunburn led to 5,342 visits to NHS webpages, totalling 10,314 over the weekend, underscoring the public’s reliance on official health information during periods of intense heat.
Parents also sought advice on how to keep their babies safe, with visits to NHS web pages for baby first aid and sun safety tips surging by almost 3,500% on Monday, with 4,728 hits.
Temperatures are expected to cool slightly in parts of the UK in the coming days.
However, health officials have confirmed that heat health alerts would be extended for 24 hours.
The UK Health Security Agency said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow heat-health alerts for the North West and North East.
Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England, said: “While many enjoyed the rare treat of a sunny bank holiday, the soaring temperatures have been of real concern for many new parents, with a 3,500 per cent increase in the number seeking NHS advice for how to keep their babies safe in the sun over the weekend.
“Temperatures are now starting to ease off, but there are still health alerts in place for several parts of the country until 5pm Thursday, so it’s vital that people stay on their guard if they’re looking after those who are vulnerable to the heat.
“Babies, children, older people and those with long-term conditions like diabetes or heart problems are at higher risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke, so we’d urge people to take care and to check on their loved ones during these high temperatures.
“The NHS website has a range of useful information for young children of different age groups to help people parents their loved ones safe and avoid them becoming dehydrated.”
In recent days people have died after struggling in open water in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire.
Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday.
A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday and the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.
The same day, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to help two family members who were in difficulty, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
The body of a fourth teenager was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, South Yorkshire Police said.
And on Tuesday evening, Lancashire Police said a body had been recovered from the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy got into difficulty while swimming with friends at Ribchester.
The RNLI warned of the “very real risk” of swimming in open water during the heatwave and said that while temperatures have hit record highs for May, water temperatures remained low and this could lead to cold water shock.
