Yellow heat health alerts have been issued for most of England, which means the weather poses a greater risk to vulnerable people. The alerts cover Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East England, the South East, the South West and Londonand will be in place from 12:00 BST on Wednesday 18 June until 18:00 on Sunday 22 June. The weather alert service warns the public in England when high or low temperatures could damage their health. The system is run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office. It includes both heat health and cold health alerts Heat health alerts are issued between 1 June and 30 September, and cold health alerts are published between 1 November and 30 March. As well as warning the public, the system sends guidance directly to NHS England, the government and healthcare professionals during periods of adverse weather. Alerts are categorised according to severity and include: The system was designed to help reduce illness and deaths during periods of extreme weather. The level of alert is based on Met Office forecasts and data. There are four levels ranging from green (least severe) to red (most severe): Green Green is the normal level, when advice is given on how people should prepare to respond if temperatures rise or fall. Yellow Yellow alerts are issued during periods of hot or cold weather that are only likely to affect those who are particularly vulnerable, for example the elderly, or those with existing health conditions. Amber Amber alerts are issued in situations that could potentially put the whole population at risk. The NHS may see increased demand on GPs and ambulances, for example. Travel disruption is also likely. Red A red alert is the most severe. It is issued in situations when hot or cold weather would be a significant risk to life, even for the healthy population, and could lead to failures of critical national infrastructure, such as power outages or roads and rail lines being closed. As the body gets hotter, blood vessels open up. This leads to lower blood pressure, and makes the heart work harder to push the blood around the body. This can cause mild symptoms such as an itchy heat rash or swollen feet, as blood vessels become leaky. At the same time, sweating leads to the loss of fluids and salt and, crucially, the balance between them in the body changes. This, combined with the lowered blood pressure, can lead to heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Symptoms include: If blood pressure drops too far, the risk of heart attacks rises.
What is a heat health alert and how do they work?
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"Heat Health Alerts Issued Across England to Protect Vulnerable Populations"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Yellow heat health alerts have been implemented across most of England, indicating an elevated risk to vulnerable populations due to extreme weather conditions. The alerts encompass regions including Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East England, the South East, the South West, and London. They will be active from 12:00 BST on Wednesday, June 18, until 18:00 on Sunday, June 22. The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office oversee this weather alert system, which serves to notify the public about high or low temperatures that may adversely affect health. The alerts are categorized into heat health and cold health alerts, with the former issued from June 1 to September 30 and the latter from November 1 to March 30. The system not only alerts the public but also provides essential guidance to NHS England, government officials, and healthcare professionals during adverse weather events, aiming to minimize illnesses and fatalities associated with extreme temperatures.
The alert system is structured around four levels of severity, ranging from green to red. A green alert signifies normal conditions with preparatory advice for potential temperature changes. Yellow alerts indicate a risk primarily to vulnerable individuals such as the elderly or those with pre-existing health issues. Amber alerts suggest a broader risk to the general population, potentially increasing demand for medical services and causing travel disruptions. The most serious, red alerts, signal life-threatening conditions due to extreme weather that could impact even healthy individuals and disrupt critical infrastructure. As temperatures rise, the body’s response involves blood vessels dilating, which lowers blood pressure and increases heart workload. This physiological change can lead to symptoms like heat rash and swelling, and if fluid and salt balance is disrupted, serious conditions like heat exhaustion or heatstroke may arise, posing additional risks such as heart attacks if blood pressure drops significantly.
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