Brits Urged To Avoid Alcohol Next Week As Record Breaking Heatwave Scorches UK

As the UK is bracing itself for a scorching weather forecast next week, it seems that Brits have been urged to avoid alcohol.

The national weather service has issue an upcoming red heat warning for England between Monday (18 July) and Tuesday (19 July) next week.

Large parts of England will hit the high 30s and possibly 40C in some places.

And considering that sipping on an ice-cold bev is probably the most British way of responding to a heatwave, some experts have urged against it.

As many of us will be aware of, doctors usually advise us to keep hydrated as the temperature goes up.

When it comes to excessive drinking, alcohol is classed as a diuretic - meaning it makes you pee more.

And when you pee more, you become more dehydrated.

Alcohol advice site Drinkaware explains: "Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it encourages the kidneys to lose extra fluid.

"That is why you tend to go the toilet to urinate (pee) much more when you drink alcohol. Alcohol also makes you sweat more.

"The combination of sweating more in the heat, and going to the toilet more, means you lose more fluid than you take in and become dehydrated unless you replace that lost fluid by drinking water."

Large parts of England are going to be hit with 'exceptional heat', which would raise the possibility of smashing the existing record for the hottest day on record in the UK, where a temperature of 38.7C was recorded in Cambridge on 25 July, 2019.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: "Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week, quite widely across the red warning area on Monday, and focussed a little more east and north on Tuesday. 

"Currently there is a 50 percent chance we could see temperatures top 40C and 80 percent we will see a new maximum temperature reached."

Penny Endersby, Met Office chief executive, said: "The extreme heat that we're forecasting right now is absolutely unprecedented.

"Please treat the warnings we are putting out as seriously as you would a red or amber warning from us for wind or snow and follow the advice.

"Stay out of the sun, keep your home cool, think about adjusting your plans for the warning period."

If you or someone else suffers heat stroke, lie down with the feet slightly raised and drinking plenty of water.

If you still feel unwell after 30 minutes, have a shortness of breath, or even a temperature above 40C, call 999.