According to a 'Heatwave Plan' unveiled by the Britain's Department of Health, for preparing people to face a potential heatwave this summer, the government has advised the Britons to stay in shade, paint their houses white, and plant some trees and shrubs!

The plan for countering high temperatures expected recommends people vulnerable to heat to avoid stepping out in the sun between 11am and 3pm. It further urges the public in general to be magnanimous in offering support to the elderly and those in poor health during the heatwave.

Elaborating on the Heatwave Plan, Yvonne Doyle - Regional Director of Public Health for the South East Coast - said that the proposed plan calls on the general public to prepare in advance and take the requisite practical action well in time.

Though the summer this year is likely to be warmer than last year - when the highest temperature touched 30.9C (87.6F) - the Met Office has yet to come up with the officially projected figures related to the maximum the temperature will soar.

However, Michael Dukes - of the weather division, Meteogroup UK, of the Press Association, said: "We cannot be definite but the indications are that this year will be hotter than the two previous summers, with short heatwaves with temperatures above 32C (89F), especially in southern Britain."