Yellow heat health warning issued for Lancashire and the North West

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have issued heat-health alerts for all regions of England, the Lancashire Resilience Forum reported on 11 August 2025¹. The North West, including Lancashire, is under a yellow alert from 9am on Tuesday 12 August to 6pm on Wednesday 13 August, while the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, London and East of England have been upgraded to amber over the same period¹.

The UKHSA warned of significant impacts across health and social care services, including the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions¹. Under the Weather-Health Alert system, an amber alert means weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, with possible health impacts across the wider population and increased risk for people aged over 65 or with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions².

Forecasts cited by the Lancashire Resilience Forum put highs of 31C in West Lancashire on Tuesday 12 August, with other parts of the county reaching 29C, after 26C on Monday and before 26C on Wednesday¹. The Met Office heatwave threshold for the North West is at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures above 25C, and the forum said the run could mean the region's fourth heatwave of the summer¹. The UKHSA said temperatures were forecast to rise above 30°C across central and southern parts of the country over the next few days².

The regional picture has not been reported consistently. The UKHSA's own update lists amber for five regions and yellow for the North West and North East, adding that the South West and Yorkshire and the Humber were already under a yellow alert that remains in place². The Lancashire Resilience Forum described yellow warnings for the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West and South West¹. Wiltshire and Swindon Prepared said a yellow alert for the South West runs from 9am on Tuesday 12 August until 6pm on Wednesday 13 August³. The Eastern Daily Press reported an amber alert for the East of England running from 9am on Tuesday 11 August until 9pm on Friday 14 August, with temperatures peaking at 34C in Downham Market on Thursday⁴.

Dr Coleman also said it was important to ensure friends, family or neighbours who are vulnerable are aware of the forecasts and following the necessary advice, and to check in on them if possible¹. UKHSA guidance cited in its update includes keeping homes cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun, keeping out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, and knowing the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke².

Why it matters for households

The alerts cover the whole of England for the middle of the week, so households in every region fall under either a yellow or an amber warning¹. The UKHSA states that at amber level health impacts may be felt across the wider population, with increased risk for people aged over 65 and those with pre-existing conditions². The agency's stated advice covers keeping homes cool, avoiding the sun at the hottest time of day, and checking on vulnerable neighbours¹. The Heat-Health Alerts: Yellow, Amber and Red Explained guide sets out what each level means, and households can read about the issuing body in The UK Health Security Agency: Alerts, Outbreak Advice and Local Teams. Broader guidance sits in the heatwaves and drought and health emergencies sections, and there is a guide on how to sign up for heat-health alerts.

What happens next

The amber and yellow alerts in the UKHSA update run until 6pm on Wednesday 13 August². The Eastern Daily Press reported that the Met Office was considering issuing an amber or even red weather warning, described as an extremely rare occurrence, and that any weekend rainfall would not be enough to make up for the recent dry spell⁴. The UKHSA data dashboard carries the latest details on alerts in place and their duration².