The Met Office has issued an Amber Warning for much of England including Oxfordshire.  It may be that the warning changes over coming days and it is worth monitoring forecasts.

There has also been a Level 3 Heat-Health alert issued by the Met Office .

National advice

• The government has advice on keeping cool at home and also staying safe in hot weather 
• The NHS has good information on the common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and how to cope in hot weather .
• The UKHSA's COVID-19 and summer temperatures blog post also provides  advice on how to stay well in hot weather.
• If you need medical help that is not life-threatening, contact NHS 111 who will give you advice and point you to the best service for your needs.

Advice from Fire and Rescue

Our Fire and Rescue Service advises the following in hot weather conditions:

• Extinguish cigarettes properly, don’t throw the end on the ground and never throw cigarette ends out of car window
• Don’t leave bottles or glass in woodland/grassland; sunlight shining through glass can start fires. Take them home and or put them in a waste or recycling bin
• Avoid using open fires in the countryside
• Only use barbecues in a suitable and safe area - never leave them unattended - dispose of the ash carefully when it is cold
• If you see a fire in the countryside, don’t attempt to tackle fires that can’t be put out with a bucket of water - leave the area as quickly as possible and report it to the Fire and Rescue Service immediately.

Meanwhile earlier this year firefighters undertook a campaign to give people good water safety advice ahead of the summer . This advice certainly applies during the current exceptionally hot weather.

Power cuts

Information relating to any local power/electricity issues can be found on the websites Powertrack and Western Power Distribution.

If people experience a power cut, the national number to call is 105. It’s free of charge.