YORK residents are being urged to help their elderly neighbours through the heatwave emergency - especially if they don't have children,

Sue Lister, who runs AWOC York (Ageing Without Children), a group for older people who have not had children or whose children are unable to support them, says such people will be particularly vulnerable when temperatures rise as high as 39C in York on Tuesday, because they don't have the same support as those with children might enjoy.

She said York should re-muster the 'spirit of lockdown,' when people checked on their neighbours to see if they were OK and needed any provisions.

In this case, people could help by seeing whether neighbours needed a fan to help them through the hottest weather, and order one on their behalf if not.

"It would be excellent to remind everyone that people ageing without children or nearby family are particularly vulnerable and alone," she said.

"A phone call or knock on the door from a kindly neighbour can make all the difference."

She said an online order placed today could still mean fans being delivered to people before the worst part of the heatwave began on Monday.