The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have issued an amber heat-health alert (HHA) for 5 regions of England.
The West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, London, and East of England will be under an amber heat health alert from 9am tomorrow (Tuesday 12 August) until 6pm on Wednesday, 13 August.
In addition, a yellow HHA has been issued for the North West and North East regions for the same period. The South West and Yorkshire and the Humber regions are already under a yellow HHA, which remains in place.
Under the Weather-Health Alert system, an amber alert means that weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service. At this level, we may begin to see some health impacts across the wider population. We may also see 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 Paul Coleman, Consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, said:
Temperatures are forecast to rise above 30°C across central and southern parts of the country over the next few days, and generally hot weather is expected across most regions of England.
These kind of temperatures can result in serious health outcomes across the population – particularly in those who are vulnerable, such as the elderly or those with serious health conditions – so it is important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.
If you have friends, family or neighbours who are vulnerable, it is important to ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice. Check in on them if you can to make sure they know that hot weather is on the way and how to keep themselves safe.
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
- 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
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.
Source: UK.gov
