I’m A Celebrity jungle stars at risk as ‘fatal’ heatwave set to sweep Australia this weekend
Medical staff are on call to make sure no one falls ill
JUNGLE bosses are on high alert as a potentially fatal heatwave is to sweep Australia this weekend.
I’m A Celebrity producers have medical staff on call to make sure contestants don’t suffer heat stroke in the freak conditions as temperatures soar to dangerously high levels.
On the east coast of Australia, where the ITV show is filmed, the mercury is expected to go as high as 44 degrees celsius.
On Friday in Murwillumbah, New South Wales - the town closest to the jungle - campmates will struggle in 35 degree heat with “extreme” UV levels.
They will also face high humidity levels as warm as 47 degrees, or 117 Fahrenheit.
There are particular concerns for former Eastenders actor Larry Lamb, who at 69 is the oldest contestant in the camp by some way.
Elderly individuals are more at threat of heat stroke which can be fatal in extreme weather according to medical experts.
Show bosses are expected to give the celebrities a relatively easy day due to the conditions, and have reminded the remaining contestants of the dangers of sun exposure.
A source said: “Contestants are being told to take extra care to make sure they are drinking enough water and not doing anything too active.
“The older contestants, particularly Larry, could find themselves in bother if they try and do anything too strenuous in that heat.
“All the contestants need to keep hydrated and be reapplying sun cream regularly. This weather is dangerous and can kill. Even Aussies won’t be out in the midday sun.’’
In Brisbane, where the celebrities first land in the country, the temperature is set to hit 41 degrees, the highest since it was 40C on Christmas Eve in 2001.
Health officials in nearby Queensland, less than 15 minutes drive away and where nearly all of the show’s crew stay, are preparing for the heatwave in the same way they prepare for a natural disaster like a hurricane.
Queensland Health’s Peter Aitken said: “We’re using exactly the same processes that we would normally use to ensure our hospital and health services are prepared, whether it’s for a heatwave, a cyclone that’s coming, a flood or a pandemic event.”
Ambulance boss Tony Hucker, the region’s director of patient safety, said if contestants’ brains go above 40 degrees it can be deadly.
He explained: “Heat stroke can actually kill you.
“Once your brain gets to the temperature of about 40 degrees, it’s dangerous.
“We need to get that temperature down as quick as we can otherwise it can be a fatal outcome.
“We need to be careful. Stay out of the sun, avoid strenuous activity and keep yourself hydrated.”
Got a story? Email [email protected] or call us direct on 0207 782 4037