25/06/2026
Heat health alert extended for the West Midlands
The red heat health alert is in now in effect until 11PM on 26/06/2026 across the West Midlands. The red alert has a matrix score of 16. This means:
Severe impacts are expected across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:
• increased risk to life across the whole population, with significant impacts on older people
• significantly increased demand on all health and social care services
• the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
• hot indoor environments making provision of care challenging and national critical infrastructure failures, such as generators and power outages
• water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning
The heat can be dangerous for certain groups of people such as the elderly, those with existing medical conditions or the very young. In your valuable work you may come into contact with people from these groups.
If you do, helping to prepare for these will be invaluable. Making sure you pass on these messages about the heat, as the temperature rises it is important to remind local people how to keep healthy during a heatwave.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Public Health is therefore encouraging people to follow the guidance below;
• Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves
• Stay tuned to the weather forecast or radio for local messages
• If you’re planning to travel, check the forecast at your destination too.
• Make sure you carry plenty of water with you if you are out and about or making a journey by car or public transport.
• Plan ahead: stock up with supplies so that you don't need to go out during extreme heat and think about what medicines, food, and non-alcoholic drinks you'll need.
• Keep plenty of water to hand and stay in the shade whenever possible.
• Don't go outside between 11am and 3pm as this is the hottest part of the day.
• Avoid strenuous activity if at all possible.
• Drink water or fruit juice regularly even if you’re not feeling thirsty. Avoid tea, coffee, and alcohol, and if you do drink alcohol make sure you have lots of water or other non-alcoholic drinks as well.
• Eat normally even though you may not be as hungry, you need a normal diet to replace salt losses from sweating. Try to have more cold foods, such as salads and fruit, as these contain a lot of water
• Identify the coolest room in the house, so you can go there to keep cool.
• Keep rooms cool by closing curtains and blinds during the day (use light-coloured curtains if possible, as metallic blinds and dark curtains can make the room hotter).
• Keep the windows closed while the room is cooler than it is outside and, if it's safe, open windows at night when the air is cooler
• People with heart problems, breathing difficulties or serious illnesses may find their symptoms become worse in hot weather, so make sure you have enough medicines in stock and take extra care to keep cool. Contact your GP if your symptoms become worse.
You can see all the weather health alerts currently in place across England on the UKHSA data dashboard.
If you no longer require the Heatwave plan and want to be removed from the alert distribution list or know a colleague who requires adding to the alert distribution list, please email the Community Development Team on [email protected].
Kind Regards
Community Development Team
