Eat cucumbers and ditch the suit and tie, Brits advised as temperatures to soar to 40C

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As temperatures begin to soar across the UK, many of us will instinctively reach for our water bottles to stay hydrated. However, hydrating foods are often overlooked, experts have said.

Maintaining a balanced diet and fuelling our bodies is said to be key to warding off the feelings of fatigue and sluggishness that can accompany a heatwave.

“Most of the time during a heatwave, especially when we have temperatures like what we’ve got today, the first thing we tend to notice is that our appetite reduces, which can lead to a reduced dietary intake,” says Sejal Jacob, Nutritionist Resource member and registered dietitian.

“Many of us are drawn more towards fluids, which is your body’s natural mechanism to signal that you need to stay hydrated.”

People have been advised to eat foods such as watermelon, tomatoes, grapes, courgettes, lettuce, cucumber and berries while we see such high temperatures.

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Conciliation service Acas has said those with health conditions or disabilities may be affected more by the hot weather.

Acas said employers should assess any risks and discuss what they need to do, such as providing fans, portable air-cooling units or more frequent or longer breaks.

It may also be advisable for employers to relax the rules for wearing ties or suits, it was suggested.

Acas chief executive Niall Mackenzie said: “The Met Office has issued a weather warning for extreme heat, which will mean an uncomfortable week for many people.

“Some workers with certain health conditions or disabilities may be adversely affected by the heat.

“The hotter weather can also impact public transport, which can disrupt people’s journeys to and from work.”

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday in the face of extreme heat and humidity.

The weather forecaster said this week’s heatwave will see temperatures exceed 37C in the shade and could even see them rise to 38C to 40C in some parts of England and Wales.

The hot conditions, which have been very rare in the UK until now, will be accompanied by high humidity and very warm and humid nights, which will make it hard for people to recover overnight, the Met Office added.

They will have widespread impacts on health and bring “significant disruption” to daily life, it warned, as it urged people to adapt their routines where possible to cope.

The Met Office had already issued an amber weather warning covering large areas of England and Wales from Monday to Thursday.

But an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham will now be covered by a red alert from 9am on Wednesday and 9pm on Thursday.

As part of the rare warning, forecasters say conditions will bring a risk to life and population-wide health impacts that no longer limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat