An Amber Heat Health Alert is now in effect across Basildon and the rest of Essex, with the UK Health Security Agency warning that the hot weather could put vulnerable residents at increased risk. The alert came into force at 9pm on 26 June and runs until 9am on 28 June, covering all regions of England.
The UKHSA extended the alert after de-escalating the East of England from a more serious red warning that had been in place from 1am on Wednesday 24 June until 11pm on Friday 26 June. An amber alert signals that health services are likely to see a rise in demand from older people and those with underlying conditions, and that there is an elevated risk to anyone over 65 or living with respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses.
NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is pointing residents towards summer health advice on its website and urging people to look after those most susceptible to the heat. The board identifies the highest-risk groups as anyone aged over 75, babies and young children, people who live alone or in a care home, and those managing long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or dementia.
The red alert that preceded this weekend’s amber warning was only the second of its kind ever issued in the UK, the first having come during the record-breaking heat of July 2022. Under the UKHSA and Met Office’s Weather-Health alerting system, a red warning means that even fit and healthy people could be at risk, with knock-on effects for transport, utilities and businesses.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at the UKHSA, has urged the public to stay hydrated, avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day, and check on elderly neighbours and relatives. The NHS Essex Integrated Care Board is also signposting residents to practical guidance on how to stay well while temperatures remain high.
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