The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have partnered to create a new weather alert system. The aim of this new alert system is to provide early weather warnings to health and social care sectors, local government and the voluntary and first responder communities.
The system will issue green, yellow, amber and red alerts to those who are registered. Each colour relates to how much danger the population is in from the weather with green meaing that there is no alert issued up to red which would be a significant risk to all of the population.
Whilst the new weather alert system will be operational all year round, it launched on 1 June 2023 in preparation for the summer heat.
Whilst it is tempting to simply enjoy the summer weather, it can have a serious effect on our health. People at high risk during the hot weather are:
- Those aged 65 and over
- Babies and children under 5 years old
- People with serious medical conditions
- People who live alone and may not be able to care for themselves
- People who work jobs in manual labour or spend a lot of time outside
There are a few general things we can do to make sure that we stay safe this summer:
- spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm, in the UK the sun is strongest between these hours during the summer
- make sure you never burn
- cover up with suitable clothing and wear sunglasses
- take extra care with children
- use at least factor 30 sunscreen.
It can be tempting to lay in direct sunlight. However, this can be extremely harmful. When skin has been exposed to too much sun without protection it can lead to sunburn; red, hot and sore skin. The skin that has been sunburnt can also blister, flake and swell. Sunburns can also increase our chances of getting skin cancer. If you feel unwell or are experiencing bad blisters or swelling, contact NHS 111.
If you have been sunburnt, you can treat it by getting out of the sun as soon as possible, applying aloe vera or aftersun cream, drinking plenty of water, taking painkillers if necessary and cooling the skin with a cold shower or damp towel. It is important not to pop any blisters caused by the sunburn or scratch at the burn. If sunburnt, you must do what you can to stay out of the sun so we don’t make the burn worse.
There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan. If you do have a tan, this does not protect you from getting sunburnt or being affected by any other harmful effects of being in the sun.
You can learn more tips about staying safe in the sun on the NHS webpage.You can read more about the new weather alert system on the GOV.UK webpage.