Households urged to watch out for 14 symptoms from Tuesday
Households urged to watch out for 14 symptoms from Tuesday
UKHSA has detailed guidance on how to stay safe when the mercury soars, including several important symptoms to be aware of.
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Add us as preferred source Comments By Chris Samuel 11:20, Mon, Jun 22, 2026 Updated: 11:22, Mon, Jun 22, 2026 
Households have been urged to watch out for 14 symptoms in the week ahead, as Brits brace for days of sweltering temperatures. The Met Office has issued Amber Extreme Heat Warnings, which will be in place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with temperatures set to be widely exceeding 35C.
A rare Red Extreme Heat Warning has since been issued too, with affected areas "likely to see a two to three day period where maximum temperatures in the shade exceed 37 Celsius, perhaps rising to 38 to 40 Celsius in some places". Meanwhile, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also put out a series of Yellow and Amber Heat Health Alerts, which highlight the potential health and social care impacts of the expected heat.
- Met Office issues 48-hour power cuts warning for 90 areas from Wednesday
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UK weather: Met Office issues warning for extreme heat
The health body has detailed guidance on how to stay safe when the mercury soars, including being aware of eight common symptoms of heat exhaustion and six of heatstroke.
"Heat exhaustion occurs when the body overheats and cannot cool down," the UKHSA guidance explains, adding that it "does not usually need emergency medical attention if you cool down within 30 minutes".
However, if you don't take steps to cool down, "heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke."
Common heat exhaustion symptoms include:
- tiredness
- weakness
- feeling faint
- headache
- muscle cramps
- feeling or being sick
- heavy sweating
- intense thirst
Heatstroke is where the body isn't able to cool down and your body temperature gets dangerously high, the public health body explains.
Common heatstroke symptoms include:
- confusion
- lack of co-ordination
- fast heartbeat
- fast breathing or shortness of breath
- hot skin that is not sweating
- seizures
"Heatstroke is a medical emergency," the organisation warns. "If you think someone has heatstroke you should dial 999 and then try to cool them down."
UKHSA directs people to find out more about the symptoms of both heat exhaustion and heatstroke on NHS.UK.
In an update about the Met Office weather warnings (issued before the Red Warning was put out), the Met Office said temperatures will "quickly rise on Monday morning and are forecast to reach 34C in southern parts of England".
"The heat will build further into Tuesday, with highs of 37°C forecast for southern England and 35°C southeast Wales," it added.
"The peak of the heatwave is now forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to 38°C. By Friday conditions will be less hot, with highs of 33°C forecast across eastern areas.
Temperatures look set to be "very high" overnight too, with "widespread Tropical Nights, where the temperature does not drop below 20°C, across southern parts of England especially in urban areas".
It warned that humidity will also be a factor, making the heatwave "even more impactful with heat stress a danger to all".
Some of the Amber Met Office weather warnings came into effect at 1am on Monday, June 22, for local authorities across the East Midlands, East of England, London & South East England, South West England, Wales, and the West Midlands.
Areas across the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber will also come under Amber warnings on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Red warning impacts local authorities across the East Midlands, East of England, London & South East England, South West England, Wales, and West Midlands from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday, with the public warned of "population-wide adverse health effects experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life."
The Met Office said the warnings "will be updated as necessary as confidence in the duration of the heat through next week increases" you can find all the latest warnings here.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said previously: “The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record-breaking June temperatures and very high humidity.
"The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.
“As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20°C, which is called a Tropical Night. This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.”
The Met Office warning "highlights potential health impacts for the wider population, not just those vulnerable to extreme heat", the government agency explains.
"It also warns of potential heat-related issues for a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply. An increase in potential water safety incidents is also noted, as more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes or rivers."
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
