A red heat-health alert issued in the South East
A red heat-health alert is in place for the South East from 1am on Wednesday 24 June to 11pm on Thursday 25 June 2026.
Very high temperatures and humidity are expected, including overnight. This level of heat can seriously affect people's health, including those who are usually fit and well.
Older people, young children and people with health conditions may be more affected, so please take care and check on anyone who may need support.
You can help keep yourself and others safe by:
- staying out of the sun
- drinking plenty of water
- keeping your home as cool as possible
- taking water, sun cream and a hat if you need to go out
- checking before travelling and taking extra water with you
- taking extra care near the coast, rivers and open water
- checking on friends, family and neighbours who may need support
Risk description
Severe impacts are expected across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:
- increased risk to life across the whole population, with significant impacts on older people
- significantly increased demand on all health and social care services
- the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
- hot indoor environments making provision of care challenging and national critical infrastructure failures, such as generators and power outages
- water‑related incidents may increase, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning
It might feel a little excessive to share advice when the sun is shining, but hot weather can pose genuine health risks for some people.