Nicola Sturgeon has issued a warning to Scots as the country prepares for two days of "exceptionally hot" weather. The First Minister took to Twitter to give the advice on Sunday with temperatures expected to hit 30C on Monday and Tuesday.
An amber warning has been issued by the Met Office for Monday, affecting the east coast and south of Scotland. She said in particular people should keep out of direct sunshine and stay hydrated, as well as keep an eye on others.
Ms Sturgeon said: "The next couple of days are set to be exceptionally hot. Please take care and follow sensible advice - keep out of direct sun; stay well hydrated; and look out for others who may be suffering from the heat."
The extreme heat was originally forecast to affect only parts of southern Scotland, but now the Met Office has extended the amber warning to eastern areas. This includes Fife, the Lothians and parts of Tayside, Perthshire and central Scotland.
Met Office forecasters say: "After a very warm night, hot weather, already under way across other parts of England and Wales, is expected to develop more widely across Wales, southwest and northern England, plus southern Scotland. Some exceptionally high temperatures are possible, both by day and by night, for Monday and Tuesday.
"This following a warm weekend will likely bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure. Adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat.
"Government advice is that 999 services should be used in emergencies only; seek advice from 111 if you need non-emergency health advice.
"The wider population is likely to experience some adverse health effects including sunburn or heat exhaustion (dehydration, nausea, fatigue). There may be some other heat-related illnesses."
Experts say some changes in working practices and daily routines may be required. There is an increased chance that some heat-sensitive systems and equipment may fail, potentially leading to localised power cuts and the loss of other services to some homes and businesses.
More people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents. There are also expected to be some delays to road, rail and air travel, which has the potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays.
The UK's first-ever Red weather warning was issued by the Met Office on Friday. as parts of England are expecing the mercury rise to up to 40C this week. This is the first time the Met Office has forecast 40C in the UK. The current record high temperature in the UK is 38.7C, which was reached at Cambridge Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019.
Temperatures could reach 41C in England next week, while the rest of the UK could also see new record highs. The highest temperature recorded in Scotland was 32.9C at Greycrook in the Borders in August 2003. The Met Office warned that this figure could be topped this week.
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