As the summer of 2025 gathers its fourth great warm spell, the UK Health Security Agency has placed six regions of England under a yellow heat health alert, a quiet signal that the coming days could press hard on the people least able to bear them. From midday on Monday 11 August until evening on Wednesday 13 August, the warning reaches from Yorkshire down through London to the South West, while the north-west and north-east are spared for now. It is a reminder, old as the seasons themselves, that a heatwave falls hardest on the elderly, the solitary and the unwell, and that the length of its
UKHSA Issues 54-Hour Yellow Heat Health Alert for Six English Regions Ahead of Fourth Heatwave
54 hours of warning ahead of the summer's fourth heatwave
Mark
So what does a yellow alert actually mean? It sounds mild.
Mimi
It's the lowest tier, but the wording isn't trivial. The UKHSA says significant impacts are possible on health and social care services. Heat mostly won't trouble the average person, but it can hit vulnerable people hard.
Mark
And who counts as vulnerable?
Mimi
Older people, especially over 75 and female, people living alone or in care homes, those with long-term illness or certain medicines, babies, the bed bound, and people who spend a lot of time outside.
Luke
Worth saying what we know about the forecast. Keates is confident about the rise early next week, but he says the length of the spell is uncertain.
Mark
So the 54 hours isn't a prediction of how long the heat lasts?
Luke
Correct. It's the alert window. The heat could go on past Wednesday, particularly in the south, and nobody can say yet.
Mimi
The 34C figure is also a possibility, not a forecast. It's described as a chance in southern areas.
Mark
Why does London's threshold differ?
Mimi
It's 28C for London and the Home Counties, against 25C for most of the UK. London's forecast of 29, 29, 30 and 28 would clear that on all four days.
Luke
Though that's the forecast, not a declared heatwave. And the source doesn't tell us what the earlier alerts' actual death or demand numbers were, only that they warned of increases.
Der Puls
- A yellow heat health alert now covers six English regions, from Yorkshire to the South West, as a fourth heatwave of the summer bears down.
- Temperatures are forecast to climb into the low 30s on Monday and possibly the mid 30s by Tuesday, with London expected to pass its heatwave threshold on all four days.
- Health and social care services face a likely surge in demand, and officials warn that older people, those living alone and those on certain medicines are most exposed.
- Forecasters cannot yet say whether the heat will linger past Wednesday, particularly in southern England, leaving the true length of the strain unresolved.
As the summer of 2025 gathers its fourth great warm spell, the UK Health Security Agency has placed six regions of England under a yellow heat health alert, a quiet signal that the coming days could press hard on the people least able to bear them. From midday on Monday 11 August until evening on Wednesday 13 August, the warning reaches from Yorkshire down through London to the South West, while the north-west and north-east are spared for now. It is a reminder, old as the seasons themselves, that a heatwave falls hardest on the elderly, the solitary and the unwell, and that the length of its stay remains, for now, a question the weather has not yet answered.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for six regions of England, running from midday on Monday 11 August to 6pm on Wednesday 13 August. It is expected to be the fourth heatwave of the summer, and the regions include Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the East of England, London, the South East and the South West. The North East and North West are not covered.
A yellow alert means the heat is unlikely to trouble most people but could significantly affect the vulnerable, and it can bring rising deaths among those groups and greater pressure on health services. Forecasters expect temperatures above 30C in parts of the country, with highs of 34C possible in the south. The Met Office's Steven Keates says the rise will be sharp, with the low 30s likely on Monday and perhaps the mid 30s on Tuesday.
London has its own bar for a heatwave, 28C rather than the usual 25C, and its forecast highs would clear it on every day from Monday to Thursday. The NHS names those most at risk: older people, especially over 75, people living alone or in care homes, the seriously ill, those on certain medicines, and anyone who struggles to stay cool, from babies to people with Alzheimer's.
The UKHSA has urged everyone to look out for themselves and others. The question still hanging over the week is whether the heat outlasts Wednesday, which the Met Office says remains uncertain, especially in the south.
The UK Health Security Agency has put a yellow heat health alert in place for six regions of England, starting at midday on Monday, August 11, and running until 6pm on Wednesday, August 13. That is 54 hours of warning ahead of what is expected to be the fourth heatwave of the summer.
The regions covered are Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the East of England, London, the South East and the South West. The North East and North West are not included in the alert.
The UKHSA says a yellow alert means significant impacts are possible across health and social care services because of the high temperatures. Yellow alerts are issued when heat would be unlikely to affect most people but could affect those who are particularly vulnerable. Earlier yellow alerts have warned of a rise in deaths among vulnerable groups and a likely increase in demand for health services.
Forecasters have told people to expect temperatures above 30C across parts of the country next week, with a chance of highs of 34C in southern areas. Steven Keates, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said forecasters are confident temperatures will rise markedly by the start of the week, reaching the low 30s Celsius in parts of England on Monday and perhaps the mid 30s in a few places on Tuesday.
He added a caution: the length of the warm spell is still uncertain, and high temperatures could persist further into next week, particularly in the south.
In London, the forecast highs are 29C on Monday, 29C on Tuesday, 30C on Wednesday and 28C on Thursday. The capital has a different bar for what counts as a heatwave. An official heatwave is declared when an area records three consecutive days above its threshold. For most of the UK that threshold is 25C, but for London and the Home Counties it is 28C. On those forecasts, London would meet it across all four days.
There have been three heatwaves in the UK so far in 2025, so the coming one would be the fourth.
The NHS lists those most at risk in hot weather. They include older people, especially those over 75 and women; people who live alone or in a care home; and people with a serious or long-term illness. Also on the list are people taking medicines that may make them more susceptible to heat, and those who find it hard to keep cool, such as babies, the bed bound, people with drug or alcohol addictions, and people with Alzheimer's disease. People who spend a lot of time outside or in hot places are also named.
The UKHSA has urged people to take steps to keep themselves and others safe during the hot spell. The key thing to watch is whether the heat extends beyond Wednesday, since the Met Office says that remains unclear, especially for the south.
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The length of this warm spell is still uncertain, and high temperatures could persist further into next week, particularly in the south.— Steven Keates, Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist
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