Yellow heat alerts were issued for most of England earlier this week as temperatures rose across parts of the UK, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said in a statement published on 19 June 2025. The charity used the statement to warn of the potential dangers of hot weather for people with heart conditions.
The BHF said hot weather can present specific risks for people with heart conditions because the heart has to work harder to keep the body's core temperature at normal levels1. It said that in hot weather blood vessels dilate, which can lead to a drop in blood pressure, and that studies have shown this puts people with cardiovascular disease at greater risk of health complications and even death, though more research is needed1. The statement did not give figures for the number of alerts issued, the areas covered beyond "most of England", or the temperatures reached; these have not been reported in the material available.
Ruth Goss, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the BHF, said elderly people and very young children have more difficulty regulating their temperature and so can be more at risk from extreme temperatures1.
"The most important way you can protect your heart in the heat is to stay cool and keep hydrated."
The BHF also said, in its own words, that people should check on friends and relatives regularly in hot weather to make sure they are cool and comfortable1. It encouraged people with heart conditions to take precautions to minimise potential health risks during a heat wave1.
Why it matters for households
The alerts cover most of England, so households across a large part of the country are affected. The BHF's warning singles out people with heart conditions, and its nurse adds elderly people and very young children as groups who may be more at risk because they have more difficulty regulating their temperature1. The charity's advice, attributed to it, is to stay cool and keep hydrated, and to check on friends and relatives regularly to make sure they are cool and comfortable1. The heatwaves and drought hub sets out the wider picture on hot weather, and the guide to who is most at risk in hot weather covers the groups the BHF names. The heat-health alerts guide explains what yellow, amber and red alerts mean, and households can read about how to sign up for heat-health alerts.
What happens next
No further dated steps were given in the BHF statement. The statement was published on 19 June 2025 and refers to alerts issued "earlier this week"; it does not say when those alerts were due to end or whether further alerts were expected.
Heat-Health Alerts Explained
Who Is at Risk in Hot Weather
