THE number of people collapsing has more than doubled because of the hot weather, says the ambulance service.

Over the week up to Monday, West Midlands ambulance crews were called out to 1,342 heat-related cases, up from 969 the previous week.

The heat is particularly affecting older people, babies and young children, people with heart or breathing problems and people with mobility problems.

Assistant chief ambulance officer, Michelle Brotherton, said: “We are seeing lots of cases of patients becoming dehydrated after not having drunk enough water.

"There are also case of people who are simply overheating, which is a particular problem if the individual already has problems with their heart or breathing.

"Particularly over the weekend, we also saw cases of heat exhaustion and heatstroke for people who were out in the sun for many hours who had not taken precautions.

“There is no doubt many of those emergencies could have been avoided if people had taken precautions. We would therefore urge the public to look out for their loved ones, but also elderly neighbours who might be finding the current weather tough to deal with.”

Among the tips for coping in hot weather are shutting windows and pulling shades, staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, having cool baths or showers, drinking cold drinks regularly, but avoiding excess alcohol, caffeine or sugary drinks, wearing loose, cool clothing, and a hat and sunglasses if outdoors.

.