The NHS has advice on how to cope during a heatwave.
Visit the NHS heatwave webpage
Adverse weather alerts
The Weather-Health Alerting System is provided by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in partnership with the Met Office. It's intended to provide early warning when adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population.
The Weather-Health Alerting System is made up of the Heat-Health Alerts (HHA) and the Cold-Health Alerts (CHA).
You can sign up to receive adverse weather alerts.
Extreme heat
Excessive exposure to high temperatures can kill, with at risk groups including older people, the very young, people with pre-existing medical conditions and people who find it difficult to change their behaviour or routines.
We have information on keeping cool during warm weather.
Older people and people with heart, respiratory and other serious health problems are most vulnerable when the temperature starts to rise.
The main risks posed by a prolonged spell of hot weather, or a heatwave, are:
Signs of illness
Seek help from a GP or contact NHS 111 if someone is feeling unwell and shows symptoms of:
- breathlessness
- chest pain
- confusion
- intense thirst
- weakness
- dizziness
- cramps which get worse or don't go away
Emergency advice for extreme heat
- Listen to alerts on the radio, TV and social media about keeping cool
- Plan ahead to make sure you have enough supplies, such as food, water and any medications you need
- Check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves or who are particularly vulnerable to the heat
- Do not leave children or animals in a vehicle under any circumstances
- Do not walk pets during the hottest time of the day (usually 11am - 3pm)
Open water safety
Open water can be dangerous, with rivers, lakes and reservoirs often much colder below the surface. Never jump in and only swim at safe, supervised locations.
The RNLI Float to Live campaign provides life saving advice on what to do if you do fall into water.
Winter preparedness
Cold weather, ice and snow can cause serious difficulties and health problems for older and vulnerable residents.
There are an estimated 150 excess winter deaths in Derbyshire each year due to an increase in heart attacks and strokes, respiratory disease, flu, falls and injuries.
That's why health protection is involved in planning for severe weather to make sure that vital services can cope during harsh weather.
We have a duty to make sure that plans are in place to protect the health of people in Derbyshire including preparation for cold weather, snow and ice.
We're working with other local organisations on long term planning for cold weather. This covers:
- protecting people and infrastructure from the effects of cold weather and helping reduce excess winter illness and death
- supporting improved building design and increased energy efficiency which can improve and protect health, reduce carbon emissions and generate jobs in the local community
- dealing with fuel poverty including energy efficiency interventions in the home and minimising energy costs
Snow buddies
If you know of any older or vulnerable people who might struggle during severe weather then you can help keep them safe and well by becoming a snow buddy.
General winter health advice is available from government's cold weather plan for England.
You can also get advice and tips on keeping warm and find out where your nearest warm space is during the winter months.
Fuel poverty
A big problem during winter is people not being able to afford to heat their homes.
Often people have to choose between heating and eating. This is known as fuel poverty and we are working to try and tackle this.
Find out more about fuel poverty and the ways we're trying to tackle it.