Health alert system aims to cut heatwave deaths

A new alert system will warn the public when high temperatures could damage their health this summer in England.

Run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, it is aimed at reducing illness and deaths among the most vulnerable as climate change makes heatwaves more frequent.

The Heat Health Alert system will operate year-round, but the core alerting season will run from 1 June to 30 September. The system will offer regional information and advice to the public and send guidance direct to NHS England, the government and healthcare professionals. Individuals can sign up to receive alerts directly and people can specify which region they would like to receive alerts for.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UK Health Security Agency, said, "It is important we are able to quantify the likely impacts of these heatwaves before they arrive to prevent illness and reduce the number of deaths."

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 1 June 2023