Hospitals and ambulance services reported a sharp rise yesterday in emergency calls for people with breathing difficulties and chest pain brought on by the heat.

Heat wave warnings remained in place in London, the South East and the West Midlands, where health services were under increasing pressure.

Thousands of extra deaths are likely if the heat persists throughout the summer, experts say. And heat-related deaths will continue to rise in future years if climate-change predictions prove to be accurate.

A report commissioned last year by the Department of Health estimated that, over the next decade, there is a one-in-four risk of southeast England experiencing a severe heat wave — when peak temperatures of more than 40C (104F) would cause more than 3,000 immediate deaths and more than 6,350 heat-related deaths throughout the summer.

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Forecasters said that this week’s heat wave showed signs of easing and issued a severe weather warning of another kind — for heavy rain across northern and western areas.

Predictions that yesterday would be the hottest day of the year proved misplaced, as temperatures failed to beat the previous high of 31.8C.

The Met Office said that the hottest part of the country was west of London, around Heathrow, where 30.3C was recorded.

Officials say that each one degree rise in temperature during a heat wave claims an average of 75 extra lives among the old or seriously ill. In the last significant heat wave in 2003, up to 2,000 people in England are estimated to have died as temperatures reached 38C in London, with 85 per cent of the victims being 75 and over.

The London Ambulance Service said yesterday that on Wednesday, when highs of up to 32C were being recorded, its control room had fielded 4,754 calls, an increase of 23 per cent on the daily rate the previous week, and a 20 per cent increase since Friday.

The number of calls for help from people with breathing difficulties had risen 34 per cent compared with the same day last week. Calls to summon help for people who had fainted had risen 30 per cent and for those with chest pain by 29 per cent.

Jason Killens, deputy director of operations of the London Ambulance Service, said: “The last few days have been very busy for both our control room and frontline staff and we would urge everyone to take care when they are out and about in the sun.”

He said that anyone with minor conditions such as sunburn should contact NHS Direct for help instead of ringing 999.

The West Midlands Ambulance Service also reported a 23 per cent rise in calls, noting a “significant increase in heat-related calls”. The patients’ problems ranged from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, sunburn and dehydration to alcohol-related injuries and illness. “Together with hospitals that are extremely busy, our staff are currently under immense pressure,” a spokeswoman said.

Emergency calls to the South East Coast Ambulance Service rose by 400 in a week.

Each emergency case is considered life-threatening and the increase is said to have put staff under pressure. However, no data on heat-related deaths were available for any of the regions.

The A&E department at St George’s Hospital, in Tooting, South London, logged a record number of patients on Monday. Samer Elkhodair, an emergency consultant, said that most patients were suffering from heat syncope, fainting or loss of strength from exposure to heat. About 75 per cent of patients suffering the effects of the heat were elderly and many simply did not have anyone to offer them a cool drink at the right time, he added.

Dr Elkhodair said: “If there is a message, it is that the best treatment for heat illnesses is prevention. That means seeking shade, not forgetting to drink plenty of fluids and avoiding exercise during the hot hours of the day. It is common sense.”

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent recorded a 10-15 per cent rise in the number of accident and emergency patients on Monday. Most complained of minor ailments associated with the fine weather, including trampolining injuries and sprains.

“They were essentially mishaps in the sun,” said one member of staff, but she added that several patients had also been admitted for breathing problems. “We are busy but we are coping,” she said.

NHS Direct said that heat-related inquiries to its national telephone helpline had peaked at 559 calls on Sunday but numbers had been declining since then.

The Met Office forecasts that the heat will ease over the weekend and into next week, with showers interrupting sunny spells.

Severe weather warnings were issued for much of Scotland, Wales and southwest England today, where heavy rain was forecast.

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