East Midlands Ambulance Service is warning residents to take steps now to keep themselves healthy as temperatures continue to rise.

The Met Office has issued an Amber Extreme heat warning which means there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness from the scorching temperatures.

Tuesday could see temperature soar in Ashby and across the East Midlands.

Therefore, in order to protect ambulance crews so they are able to attend the most seriously ill people in the county, EMAS says it needs people to take responsibility for keeping themselves well during the hot weather.

This means:

• Drinking plenty of water to keep hydrated
• Staying in the shade or a cool part of the house
• Taking extra precautions to keep babies and young children cool and hydrated
• Checking on elderly or vulnerable neighbours

David Williams, Deputy Director of Operations at EMAS said: "We need each and every person to take this heat warning seriously and to do everything they can to stay well to prevent additional pressure on the NHS.

"We continue to experience immense pressure on our ambulance service and our staff are working phenomenally hard to the sickest and most severely injured patients.

"Calling 999 for medical help should be a last resort, after you have tried self-care, your local pharmacy, your GP, NHS111 Online and your local Urgent Treatment Centre.

"If you do call need to call 999 for medical help, you will go through several stages of assessment which may include a call back from one of our control room paramedics or nurses to ensure we are prioritising the patients who need our help first.

"Patients experiencing less serious illnesses or injuries may experience an extended wait for an ambulance, so if you are asked by our 999-control room if you can make your own way to hospital, please do so – either via taxi or asking a friend or family member to drive you.

"This allows us to continue to respond to patients who need our ambulances with highly-skilled clinicians and life-saving equipment on board to provide ongoing treatment on the way to hospital."

Avoiding heat exhaustion

Drinking plenty of water will help keep you hydrated and avoid unpleasant symptoms such as a headache and cramps. It can also prevent illnesses such as heat exhaustion, which can lead to heatstroke.

The symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• A headache
• Dizziness and confusion
• Loss of appetite and feeling sick
• Excessive sweating
• Cramps
• Being very thirsty
• A high temperature
• Fast breathing or pulse

If you do experience these symptoms, sit in the shade, drink plenty of water and if they do not improve, seek advice from your GP out of hours service, NHS 111 Online or local pharmacy.

To find your nearest services you can search at www.nhs.uk.