An amber health alert has been issued for most of England, Staffordshire County Council announced on 27 June 2025, with temperatures forecast to rise over the weekend and then reach over 30C in Staffordshire next week1. The council also issued warnings against swimming in unsupervised open water and against lighting fires in the countryside1.
The council said Monday is likely to be the hottest day of the year so far1. It published a list of tips for "beating the heat", including looking out for older people, young children and babies and those with underlying health conditions, and keeping out of the sun between 11am and 3pm1. Its other tips include closing curtains in rooms that face the sun, drinking plenty of water because sugary, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can make people more dehydrated, and never leaving anyone in a closed and parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals1. It advises avoiding physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day, wearing light, loose fitting cotton clothes, and taking water when travelling1. For dogs, it says to put a hand on the ground to check it is not too hot: if it is too hot for a hand, it will be too hot for their paws1.
Hayley Coles, the council's Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, said:
"It may be tempting to swim in lakes, reservoirs and quarries but, without the right supervision or knowledge about open water safety, this could have tragic consequences, even for experienced swimmers."
The council said it anticipates its country parks will be particularly busy and asked everyone to play their part in preventing wildfires1. Its advice on fires and litter was: "Don't use disposable barbecues, don't light open fires and always dispose of rubbish and cigarettes in the bins provided or take them home with you."1 On pets, it asked people to walk dogs at cooler times of the day, carry water and check the pavement is not too hot for their paws before walking them1.
Why it matters for households
The alert covers most of England, so households well beyond Staffordshire are affected, with the hottest conditions expected from this weekend and Monday likely to be the hottest day of the year so far1. The council's stated concerns are heat exposure for older people, young children and babies, people with underlying health conditions, and animals left in parked vehicles1. It also warns of the risk of wildfires in the countryside and of swimming in unsupervised open water, saying this could have tragic consequences even for experienced swimmers1. The council's advice is set out above and attributed to it1. The heat-health alerts guide explains the yellow, amber and red levels, and the hot weather preparation checklist covers household planning; both sit within the heatwaves and drought section.
What happens next
The council said temperatures are forecast to rise over the weekend and then reach over 30C in Staffordshire next week, with Monday likely to be the hottest day of the year so far1. No end date for the amber alert, and no further update schedule, has been reported1. Households can find out how alerts are issued in the guide to signing up for heat-health alerts.
Heat-Health Alerts Explained
Hot Weather Preparation
