Heat summary - supporting vulnerable people: social care managers - GOV.UK
Heat-Health Alert action card for health and social care providers - GOV.UK
Supporting vulnerable people before and during hot weather: social care managers - GOV.UK
Keeping cool in heat waves | Oxfordshire County Council
Beat the heat: staying safe in hot weather - GOV.UK
Heat health alert updated for the South East
The amber heat health alert is in effect from 10AM on 26/05/2026 until 5PM on 28/05/2026 across the South East. The amber alert has a matrix score of 12. This means:
Significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:
- a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups
- likely increased demand on all health and social care services
- internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed the recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment
- the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
- indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings
- issues managing medicines
- staffing issues due to external factors (for example, affecting transport)
- increased demand for power exceeding capacity
- other sector starting to observe impacts (for example, travel delays)
- water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning
You can see all the weather health alerts currently in place across England on the UKHSA data dashboard.
How to take action if you have a duty to respond
Please review the Weather Health Alert System user guidance to explain how you can use the information contained within the alerts to respond to the forecast weather.
We provide guidance on how to take action for a range of professional groups with a duty to respond, with action cards available for commissioners, health and social care providers, voluntary and community sector, and national government. Summary action cards are also available below:
· commissioners
· voluntary and community sector
· care homes and other residential settings
· services delivering care to people in their homes
· hospitals and other healthcare settings
For an overview of the weather alerts in place across England, please check the UKHSA data dashboard.
The Met Office may issue National Severe Weather Warnings (for example, extreme heat) with short notice, so you can take appropriate action. Check the Met Office Website to see the National Severe Weather Warnings currently in place.
You can also find information of the latest weather forecast on the Met Office website.
How to protect yourself if you are vulnerable
While exposure to hot weather can affect anyone, some people are particularly at risk. We have published guidance on staying safe during hot weather.
Planning for adverse weather
All organisations should read the Adverse Weather and Health Plan. This is important if you provide health and social care. The plan explains what you should do before and while a heat health alert is in place.
To support local planning, please check the guidance on local resilience forums.
About heat health alerts
Chief executives of the following organisations in England receive heat health alerts:
· health trust providers of NHS commissioned care
· local authorities
· social care organisations
The Heat-Health Alert Service in England runs from 1 June to 30 September each year, in partnership with the Met Office. This is the period when high temperatures are likely to occur.
If we observe high temperatures outside of this period, we will issue an extraordinary heat health alert. If this happens, stakeholders should take the usual public health actions.
You can share this email with your organisation or sign up to receive alerts using our registration form. We have a separate form if you would like to update your registration details.
Please let us know if you have a question or have a problem with your subscription. You can also unsubscribe from this service.
UKHSA and the Met Office use the Risk Matrix to assign a risk score for each alert. Users can refer the alert’s risk score to the matrix to understand the severity of the alert and likelihood of its impact.
|
Very low impacts
|
Low impacts
|
Medium impacts
|
High impacts
|
High likelihood |
4
(green) |
8
(yellow) |
13
(amber) |
16
(red) |
Medium likelihood |
3
(green) |
7
(yellow) |
12
(amber) |
15
(amber) |
Low likelihood |
2
(green) |
6
(green) |
10
(yellow) |
14
(amber) |
Very low likelihood |
1
(green) |
5
(green) |
9
(yellow) |
11
(yellow) |
Updates to heat health alerts
UKHSA and the Met Office make daily risk assessments. We will issue a new alert should the alert level change.
Further Advice and guidance
Flood Alerts and Warnings
UKHSA Privacy Notice
*******************************************************************************************
The information contained in the Email and any attachments is confidential and intended solely and for the attention and use of the named addressee(s). It may not be disclosed to any other person without the express authority of the UKHSA, or the intended recipient or both. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose, copy, distribute or retain this message or any part of it. This footnote also confirms that this Email has been swept for computer viruses by Exchange Online Protection, but please re-sweep any attachments before opening or saving. UK Health Security Agency -(https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency)
Heat summary - supporting vulnerable people: social care managers - GOV.UK
Heat-Health Alert action card for health and social care providers - GOV.UK
Supporting vulnerable people before and during hot weather: social care managers - GOV.UK
Keeping cool in heat waves | Oxfordshire County Council
Beat the heat: staying safe in hot weather - GOV.UK
Heat health alert updated for the South East
The amber heat health alert is in effect from 10AM on 26/05/2026 until 5PM on 28/05/2026 across the South East. The amber alert has a matrix score of 12. This means:
Significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:
- a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups
- likely increased demand on all health and social care services
- internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed the recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment
- the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
- indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings
- issues managing medicines
- staffing issues due to external factors (for example, affecting transport)
- increased demand for power exceeding capacity
- other sector starting to observe impacts (for example, travel delays)
- water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning
You can see all the weather health alerts currently in place across England on the UKHSA data dashboard.
How to take action if you have a duty to respond
Please review the Weather Health Alert System user guidance to explain how you can use the information contained within the alerts to respond to the forecast weather.
We provide guidance on how to take action for a range of professional groups with a duty to respond, with action cards available for commissioners, health and social care providers, voluntary and community sector, and national government. Summary action cards are also available below:
· commissioners
· voluntary and community sector
· care homes and other residential settings
· services delivering care to people in their homes
· hospitals and other healthcare settings
For an overview of the weather alerts in place across England, please check the UKHSA data dashboard.
The Met Office may issue National Severe Weather Warnings (for example, extreme heat) with short notice, so you can take appropriate action. Check the Met Office Website to see the National Severe Weather Warnings currently in place.
You can also find information of the latest weather forecast on the Met Office website.
How to protect yourself if you are vulnerable
While exposure to hot weather can affect anyone, some people are particularly at risk. We have published guidance on staying safe during hot weather.
Planning for adverse weather
All organisations should read the Adverse Weather and Health Plan. This is important if you provide health and social care. The plan explains what you should do before and while a heat health alert is in place.
To support local planning, please check the guidance on local resilience forums.
About heat health alerts
Chief executives of the following organisations in England receive heat health alerts:
· health trust providers of NHS commissioned care
· local authorities
· social care organisations
The Heat-Health Alert Service in England runs from 1 June to 30 September each year, in partnership with the Met Office. This is the period when high temperatures are likely to occur.
If we observe high temperatures outside of this period, we will issue an extraordinary heat health alert. If this happens, stakeholders should take the usual public health actions.
You can share this email with your organisation or sign up to receive alerts using our registration form. We have a separate form if you would like to update your registration details.
Please let us know if you have a question or have a problem with your subscription. You can also unsubscribe from this service.
UKHSA and the Met Office use the Risk Matrix to assign a risk score for each alert. Users can refer the alert’s risk score to the matrix to understand the severity of the alert and likelihood of its impact.
|
Very low impacts
|
Low impacts
|
Medium impacts
|
High impacts
|
High likelihood |
4
(green) |
8
(yellow) |
13
(amber) |
16
(red) |
Medium likelihood |
3
(green) |
7
(yellow) |
12
(amber) |
15
(amber) |
Low likelihood |
2
(green) |
6
(green) |
10
(yellow) |
14
(amber) |
Very low likelihood |
1
(green) |
5
(green) |
9
(yellow) |
11
(yellow) |
Updates to heat health alerts
UKHSA and the Met Office make daily risk assessments. We will issue a new alert should the alert level change.
Further Advice and guidance
Flood Alerts and Warnings
UKHSA Privacy Notice
*******************************************************************************************
The information contained in the Email and any attachments is confidential and intended solely and for the attention and use of the named addressee(s). It may not be disclosed to any other person without the express authority of the UKHSA, or the intended recipient or both. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not disclose, copy, distribute or retain this message or any part of it. This footnote also confirms that this Email has been swept for computer viruses by Exchange Online Protection, but please re-sweep any attachments before opening or saving. UK Health Security Agency -(https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency)
Booking DVSA tests for mobile emergency workers.docx (15.9 KB) (docx)
