Ambulance chiefs have urged people to take extra precautions when out enjoying the sun, following a surge in heat exposure-related call outs at the weekend.

Some of the eight incidents reported to the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) on Saturday and Sunday resulted in people being sent to hospital. Before the weekend, there was just one heat-related incident for the whole month.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said personnel had dealt with a ‘variety’ of 999 calls due to the high temperatures and nice weather.

The spokesman added: “When the weather changes, we can also see a change in 999 calls, and that was certainly the case this weekend.”

Among the call outs was to a young girl in Suffolk who had to be taken to Ipswich Hospital after suffering a reaction which was believed to have been caused by the sun.

Elsewhere in the region, a man in his 40s was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn after becoming unwell due to heat exhaustion in Wells-next-the-sea, in Norfolk.

The ambulance spokesman added: “Even though it’s only May, the sun can be really strong so we’d advise people to take precaution when out and about during the nicer weather.

“Ensure you drink plenty of water, wear suncream, and stay in the shade if you feel you are getting warm. It’s particularly important that vulnerable people such as the elderly and the very young are protected properly from the heat.”