Press release: Heatwave on the way

The Met Office has today forecast potential heatwave conditions for parts of the South East, London, the East of England, the East Midlands and West Midlands for later this week, as it declared a Level 2 Heat-health alert.

This warning is triggered when the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60% or higher chance of temperatures being high enough on at least 2 consecutive days and the intervening night to have a significant effect on health.

Dr Paul Cosford, director for health protection at Public Health England (PHE), said:

While many people enjoy hot weather, high temperatures can be dangerous, especially for people who may be particularly vulnerable such as older people, young children and those with serious illnesses.

The Heatwave Plan, which we published earlier this year, is an important component of overall emergency planning and sets out a series of clear actions that can be taken by healthcare organisations, local authorities, professionals working with vulnerable people, and individuals to help keep people safe during extreme heat.

To prepare for any type of hot weather this summer, we strongly encourage each locality to consider the actions in this plan and adapt them to their local situation, as a component of wider resilience planning and long-term climate change adaptation arrangements.

Everyone can enjoy the sun safely by keeping out of the heat at the hottest time of the day, avoiding sunburn and staying hydrated with plenty of cool drinks. Older people and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it’s important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible.

Steve Ramsdale, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said:

We’ve got hot and humid air moving up from the continent which will see temperatures rise through to the weekend, with some high day and night-time temperatures expected by Friday. The humidity will make it feel close, muggy and uncomfortable for many in the heat and people should take steps to keep cool – particularly across the areas where we have issued a heat health alert.

During hot spells vulnerable groups, such as the older people, feel the acute effects of heat more than others and it’s long been recognised that death rates rise in the early stages of heatwaves.

The Heatwave Plan also points out that it can get uncomfortably hot indoors too especially at night. Because this heatwave period is expected to start on Thursday evening and go into Friday daytime and through until Saturday daytime PHE is stressing the importance of keeping homes cool.

Dr Cosford, added:

Try to keep your bedroom and living space cool, by closing the curtains on windows that receive the sun and opening your windows at cooler times of the day and overnight when you can. Turn off non-essential lights and electrical items as these generate heat.

Many members of the Muslim community may be fasting during the current period of Ramadan. During hot weather it’s important to balance food and fluid intake between fasts and especially to drink enough water. The Muslim Council of Britain and the NHS have published lots of useful information for those likely affected during this period.

Top advice for being sun safe:

• try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm
• apply sunscreen of at least SPF15 with UVA protection
• wear UV sunglasses, preferably wraparound, to reduce UV exposure to the eyes
• wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes, a hat and light scarf
• drink lots of cool drinks
• look out for others especially vulnerable groups such as older people, young children and babies and those with serious illnesses
• never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals

Local authorities, professionals and community groups can prepare for hot weather by reviewing the Heatwave Plan for England on the PHE website.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• See the Heatwave Plan for England for more information. Be Sunsmart and visit the Met Office website for up-to-date forecasts. Advice on enjoying a healthy Ramadan is available from NHS Choices.

• Public Health England (PHE) exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through advocacy, partnerships, world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.