Sun Safety

The Met Office is forecasting that the highest temperatures will occur in London and the South East by day and night.

For further advice on coping with the current hot weather please see the NHS Heatwave be Prepared page. (Opens New Window to NHS)

Protecting Yourself and your family in the sun at home and abroad

You may feel that with our unpredictable weather here in the UK and our recent record of poor summers that sunburn is not something you have to worry about. Yet the increasing number of skin cancers diagnosed each year means that we all need to take precautions whether at home or abroad. Too much sun can cause skin cancer, premature ageing, wrinkles, heat exhaustion and sunstroke.

Follow the Sun Safety Code to help you look after your skin:

Cover Up - wear loose fitting, tightly woven clothing to keep the sun off your skin. Shade your face with a wide-brimmed hat and wear sunglasses that are British/European standard approved.

Protect Children - sunburn during childhood can lead to skin cancer later in life. Always keep babies out of the sun completely.

Seek Shade - especially during the hottest part of the day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Use a Sunscreen (water resistant if possible) - SPF 15 or higher. Apply often to exposed skin, particularly after swimming.

Know Your Skin - take extra care if you have moles or freckles, pale skin, red or fair hair. If a mole changes shape, size or colour, itches or bleeds seek medical advice.

Drink lots of water - keep hydrated by drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day, carry water with you if you go out. Covering up, seeking shade and drinking water will drastically reduce risk of heat exhaustion and sunstroke
REMEMBER - you can still get sunburnt through light cloud so take precautions when you are out and about and particularly if you spend a lot of time outdoors.