Doctors issue advice after a summer where hospitals treated people for heat exhaustion and sunburn.
With the warmer weather of the past few weeks, hospital emergency departments have been struggling to deal with the number of cases of sunburn and heat exhaustion.
The medical aftermath of summer '95.
Most cases of sunburn were presented during the good weather in July. Doctors say that advice on covering up and using sun cream to prevent skin cancer seems to be getting through to the public.
Last month, over 200 people in the Midwest of America were killed during the heatwave. While no deaths have been reported in Ireland, hospitals have been dealing with cases of heat exhaustion. Hot weather can disrupt the body's temperature and place pressure on the heart and blood vessels.
The human brain can find it difficult to cope in very hot temperatures. Arteries and veins expand in the heat, the heart speeds up and blood is carried to the surface of the skin. Evaporation of perspiration from the skin serves to cool the body. High humidity can have an impact on this process. If fluids and salts lost through perspiration are not replaced, dehydration sets in, resulting in heat exhaustion. Heat stroke could result in convulsions or even coma, or death.
Dr Nancy Gallagher of Mercer's Medical Centre advises that during heatwave conditions, physical work outside should be avoided between the hours of 11.00 am and 2.00 pm.
If you feel hot and sticky, seek out the shade, have a nice cool drink.
The experts advise people to consume plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 4 August 1995. The reporter is George Devlin.
