With hot weather, holiday getaways and planned rail strikes in the coming days, National Highways has issued advice to drivers and their passengers.

With many people planning holiday getaways and others opting to drive on Saturday (13 August) when nine train companies are set to strike, National Highways has outlined some tips to help people keep traffic moving and make their journeys easier – including ensuring they carry out basic vehicle checks and have plenty of drinking water on board.

Although not expected to reach the record-breaking temperatures of last month, the Met Office says the UK could reach 36 degrees Celsius in some places.

The Met Office has issued a warning of extreme heat for later this week and the weekend in many parts of England, saying people could experience adverse health effects including sunburn, heat exhaustion and other heat related illnesses. It also warns travel delays are possible and says more people will visit coastal areas, lakes, rivers and beauty spots.

People are being advised to check travel conditions before setting out and, where it is safe to do so, during journeys.

Paul Beecher, National Network Manager at National Highways, said: “It is always important to plan ahead for your journey. This advice is no different during periods of hot weather and during the summer holiday season.

“We urge everyone travelling to be well prepared and check their vehicles before setting out. These safety checks include checking your tyres, oil and coolant levels and importantly, ensuring you are carrying plenty of drinking water, fluids and provisions.

“We want everyone to arrive at their destinations safely, so please plan ahead and check travel conditions before starting your journey.”

During particularly hot weather, make sure your engine stays within the normal operating temperature range. However, if it begins to overheat, find somewhere safe to stop and allow it to cool down.

Meanwhile with a 10-year high in incidents recorded during the July heatwave, Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service is renewing its call to members of the public to take extra care and help prevent fires and other emergencies during another period of high temperatures and dry conditions.

The service is preparing to mitigate the effects of continued dry weather and increased risk presented by high temperatures, by asking members of the public to consider their 999 call.

During the July heatwave, 999 emergency calls to the Joint Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire control room exceeded the daily average by 1,056 per cent on Tuesday 19 July when 1,260 emergency 999 calls were received.

Last month a huge fire broke out at Win Hill in Bamford.

Crews, including a number from across the High Peak, attended the incident that started on 19 July and lasted until 24 July. Firefighters were deployed for a further day to retrieve all the fire hoses and kit deployed as part of the operation.

Over the course of the six days, a total of 34 fire engines and around 60 firefighters attended, tying up resources and potentially delaying the response to other emergencies where lives could be at risk.

Read more from the Glossop Chronicle

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper