Met office issues high temperatures safety survival guide

THE Meteorological Services Department (MSD) has warned motorists against leaving children inside their vehicles during the extremely hot conditions being experienced across the country.

This comes as medical experts have urged members of the public to stay hydrated to avoid succumbing to heat induced stroke.

In the past days, the country has been experiencing very high temperatures with Lupane and Gwanda in the southern parts of the country among the hottest areas recording temperatures ranging between 36 and 39 degrees Celsius. The MSD said leaving children inside vehicles endangers their lives.

"Mindful of the relatively hot temperatures; do not leave children inside cars as you do your weekend shopping especially when windows are closed," read an MSD daily weather update.

"While anyone left in a parked car is at risk of heat exhaustion as temperatures tend to quickly escalate to dangerous levels inside these vehicles, children are at higher risk."

The MSD said hot temperatures have seen most parts of the country running dry with no possibility of rains. The hot temperatures are expected to continue across the country.

A medical expert and Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said if people fail to stay hydrated, they might be attacked by heat related illnesses. "From a medical point of view, members of the public should take a lot of water during hot dry conditions.

"This can prevent formation of blood clots which can cause sudden collapse and death. People may actually have a heat stroke, especially the elderly," said Dr Ngwenya.

"Again people should never leave children inside vehicles when it's very hot because they will run out of oxygen because when temperatures become too high they can also die in the cars." He said those with other medical conditions should seriously stay hydrated as failure could trigger blood clots which endanger their lives.