Latest

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an updated heat-health alert (HHA) for parts of England, warning that rising temperatures may increase health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups.

An amber heat-health alert is now in place for the East of England, South East, South West and London until 8pm on Tuesday 23 June.

A yellow heat-health alert is in place for the West Midlands and East Midlands during this time. Other regions of England are currently unaffected.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said:

Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults, and it is therefore important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.

We are urging health and social care services in affected regions to ensure they are prepared, and reminding people to look out for elderly relatives, neighbours, and those with underlying health conditions, making sure they are aware of the forecast and following the necessary advice.

Simple steps such as staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool are some of the key ways to help keep yourself and others safe during periods of hot weather.

UKHSA guidance on staying safe in hot weather is available online. There you can find a full list of the groups who are especially at risk, as well as advice on keeping yourself and others safe during periods of hotter weather, such as:

• keeping your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• try to avoid direct sunlight, especially between 11am and 3pm when UV levels are highest. If you do go outside, cover up with suitable clothing, such as an appropriate hat and sunglasses, and seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly
• if you are going to do a physical activity (for example, exercising or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler, such as the morning or evening. Also check weather forecasts to see when it will be cooler
• knowing the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else has them

The UKHSA data dashboard carries further detail on our Heat Health Alerting system, and on the potential impacts of increased temperatures, and more tips for coping in hot weather can be found on the NHS website.

Previous

26 May

The UKHSA heat-health alert for the South West has been escalated to amber from today (26 May).

Amber heat-health alerts are now in place for the South West, South East, London, East of England, West Midlands and East Midlands, while the North East and North West remain under yellow alerts.

The duration of the alerts have also been extended by 24 hours and will now remain in place until 5pm on Thursday 28 May.

Previous

22 May

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued its first amber heat-health alert (HHA) of 2026, warning that high temperatures over the coming days may put vulnerable people at increased risk and reminding health and social care services to prepare for further alerts over the summer as temperatures rise.

The current heat health alert in place for the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East, and London regions will be escalated to amber from 2pm on Friday 22 May. This alert will remain in place until 5pm on Wednesday 27 May.

In addition, a yellow Heat-Health Alert will be in place for the North East, North West, South West, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, and will be in place for the same period.

Under UKHSA and the Met Office’s Weather-Health alerting system, an amber Heat Health alert means that any impacts will likely include:

• increased use of health care services by vulnerable populations
• an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65 years or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases

Dr Anya Gopfert, Consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA, said:

We know that even moderate heat can lead to serious health problems, especially for older people and those with certain health conditions, so it’s important that everyone takes simple precautions while enjoying the warm weather over the coming days.

If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.

There are simple steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe during periods of hot weather, such as:

• keeping your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• if you do go outside, cover up with suitable clothing, such as an appropriate hat and sunglasses, and seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly
• keeping out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm
• if you are going to do a physical activity (for example, exercising or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler, such as the morning or evening
• knowing the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else has them

Our UKHSA data dashboard provides the latest details on HHAs currently in place and their duration, while our latest blog details how exactly heat impacts the body and what we can do avoid the negative effects.