Heat-health alert issued for East of England

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an Amber Heat-health warning for the East of England which will be in effect from 2pm on Friday May 22 to 5pm on Wednesday May 27.

This means that weather conditions could affect the whole population or the NHS, with travel disruption likely.

The current alert has been upgraded from the Yellow Alert issued for the region on May 21. Yellow means that adverse weather is likely to affect vulnerable groups.

What you should do during an Amber Alert:

Stay hydrated and keep out of the direct sun during the hottest parts of the day;

Check on elderly or vulnerable neighbors and relatives who may struggle to cope with the heat.

The Amber Alert currently in place has been given a risk of 12, meaning there is a 60-89% likelihood of these impacts happening.

The Met Office says spiking temperatures are being caused by hot, humid air drifting across the UK from continental Europe.

Network Rail, which is responsible for much of the country’s railway infrastructure, has published advice for people who may be looking to get away by train during the warm weather.

During hot spells, they say, travellers should:

Check for service updates in advance and allow more time for journeys;

Carry water bottles and fill up at fountains at larger stations;

Avoid boarding trains if feeling unwell, and seek assistance from staff at a help point if needed.

The UKHSA says sustained high temperatures can lead to numerous “significant impacts” across health and social care services, including:

a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions.There may also be impacts on younger age groups;

likely increased demand on all health and social care services;

internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment;

the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services;

indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings;

issues managing medicines;

staffing issues due to external factors (for example, affecting transport);

increased demand for power exceeding capacity;

other sectors starting to observe impacts (for example, travel delays).

These assessments are made in conjunction with the Met Office when adverse weather conditions are indicated within the forecast.