The UK Health Security Agency is today launching a new Heat-Health Alerting (HHA) service in patnership with the Met Office.
The new system will focus more specifically on the health impacts that high temperatures could have on the health of the population.
A dedicated platform for these alerts has gone live today, including the current alert status for all regions of England.
Any HHAs will contain the following information when issued:
- headline weather conditions expected in the coming days
- an outline of what impacts might be expected
- a brief overview of the regional impact assessment
- links to additional information, advice and guidance
During the core alerting season, which is in place between 1 June and 30 September, UKHSA and the Met Office will monitor the weather forecasts. Where episodes of hot weather are identified, a joint dynamic risk assessment will be carried out and the appropriate alert issued.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said:
Our heat-health alerting system plays a vital role in notifying professionals and the public of forecasted high temperatures that can affect the health of those most at risk, particularly individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Last year saw record high temperatures across England and evidence shows that heatwaves are likely to occur more often, be more intense and last longer in the years and decades ahead. It is important we are able to quantify the likely impacts of these heatwaves before they arrive to prevent illness and reduce the number of deaths.
We look forward to collaborating with the Met Office to provide evidence-based advice to professionals and the public, to ensure they are well-equipped to respond to these events.
In order to align with the Met Office’s current warning system, UKHSA alerts will be given a colour (yellow, amber or red) based on the combination of the impact the weather conditions could have, and the likelihood of those impacts being reached. The 4 alerts are:
- green (preparedness): no alert will be issued as the conditions are likely to have minimal impact on health; business as usual and summer/winter planning and preparedness activities
- yellow (response): these alerts cover a range of situations; yellow alerts may be issued during periods of heat/cold which would be unlikely to impact most people but could impact those who are particularly vulnerable
- amber (enhanced response): an amber alert indicates that weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, and at this level we may begin to see some health impacts across the wider population, not just the most vulnerable; non-health sectors may also start to observe impacts and a more significant coordinated response may be required
- red (emergency response): a red alert indicates significant risk to life for even the healthy population; severe impacts would be expected across all sectors with a coordinated response essential
