Heat health alert issued for the South West

The yellow heat health alert is in effect from 12PM on 04/07/2026 until 5PM on 08/07/2026 across the South West. The yellow alert has a matrix score of 7. This means:

Minor impacts are likely across health and social care services, including:

• increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people
• greater risk to life of vulnerable people
• increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm
• 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.

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

Forecast issued by the Met Office on behalf of UKHSA on Monday, 29, June, 2026 at 13:30

View current Weather-Health Alerting situation

Overview of hot weather over the next 5 days

A rather cloudy and changeable start to the week, with spells of light rain, showers and perhaps thunderstorms at times, especially across the north. Drier and brighter conditions generally expected in the south and east, where there is a chance of temperatures approaching close to Low impact thresholds Thursday and/or Friday, although there remains reasonable uncertainty in the development of weather patterns toward the end of the week.

Overview of hot weather over the next 6 to 15 days

High pressure is currently most likely to dominate England through at least the early part of this period, if not for the entirity of next week. Lots of dry and fine weather, with increasing temperatures, becoming widely very warm or hot. Low impact temperature threholds likely to be reached for many if not all parts, perhaps reaching Medium impact thresholds across the south and east.

Overview of hot weather over the next 16 to 30 days

Perhaps a continuation of the hot and dry weather initially, though there is a signal for Atlantic weather systems to bring spells of cloud, rain and briefly less warm conditions at times. Low impact temperature thresholds may be reached across all parts through this period, with the greatest risk in the south and east again.

NE = North East | NW = North West | YH = Yorkshire and The Humber | EM = East Midlands | WM = West Midlands | EoE = East of England | Lon = London | SE = South East | SW = South West

For further information, please refer to the UKHSA Adverse Weather and Health Plan

All other enquiries can be directed to enquiries@ukhsa.gov.uk