The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has upgraded the heat-health alert in north west England from yellow to amber, as temperatures are expected to soar as high as 36C in some areas this week. Greater Manchester is forecast to reach 32C at its peak on Friday, July 10, 2026.
Amber Alert Expanded Across England
Amber heat-health alerts are now in force across the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South West and South East. Only north east England remains under a yellow warning. The alerts are set to remain in place until 9pm on Saturday, July 11.
Parts of the UK have already entered a heatwave by surpassing their heatwave threshold—between 25C and 28C depending on the area—for three consecutive days. The UKHSA warns that significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures.
Potential Impacts of the Amber Alert
According to the UKHSA, the amber alert indicates a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with pre-existing health conditions, as well as potential impacts on younger age groups. There is likely increased demand on health and social care services, and internal temperatures in care settings such as hospitals and care homes may exceed recommended thresholds for clinical risk assessment.
Other impacts include the heat affecting workforce ability to deliver services, indoor environments overheating and increasing risk to vulnerable people living independently, issues with managing medicines, staffing issues due to external factors like transport disruptions, increased demand for power exceeding capacity, travel delays, and an increase in water-related incidents including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.
Advice from Health Officials
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: "Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious negative health outcomes across the population, so it is important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun."
He added: "Based on the current forecast, we don’t currently expect the health impacts to be as high as the heatwave we saw at the end of June but older adults and those with pre-existing conditions are still at risk. If you have friends, family, or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecast and are following the necessary advice."
Simple precautions include staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping homes cool. The UKHSA says it will continue to monitor and update alerts if necessary.
Pollen Warnings Also in Effect
In addition to the heat alerts, the Met Office has issued red 'very high' pollen warnings for nine UK areas on Thursday, meaning hay fever symptoms are expected to be more severe.
