Extreme heat is now considered the deadliest weather and climate-related hazard in Europe, causing more deaths than floods or storms.
Research shows there are high levels of heat-related deaths in European countries. For instance, in 2022 Italy (18,010 deaths), Spain (11,324) Germany (8,173), France (4,807), and the United Kingdom (3,469) were the countries with the highest numbers of summer heat-related deaths in Europe.
But my new research suggests the current warning system may be failing to get people in England to take any preventative steps during heatwaves.
How alerts work
To help protect the UK public, the UK Health Security Agency and Met Office issue heat-health alerts ranging from yellow (least severe) to red (most severe). An amber alert, was issued for the West Midlands, East Midlands, east of England, south-east, and London on May 22 2026. At the same time a yellow alert was issued for the north-east, north-west, south-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions.
These alerts are designed to help reduce demands on the health and social care systems and to encourage people to take precautions during periods of dangerous heat. While yellow alerts represent the lowest level of warning, with amber and red indicating increasing severity, many heatwave deaths occur during these lower-level alert periods, when people may be less likely to recognise the risks or take protective action.
What we found
Our study found around 41% of people failed to take action during heat-health alerts. These alerts go from yellow to amber and then red in terms of risk. Our research suggests that many people ignore the yellow level warnings, despite a significant number of heat-related deaths occur during this type of weather.
Around 30% of people failed to see an alert after one was issued, our research found. Exposure to warnings was particularly low among older adults, lower-income households and people with lower levels of education. Digital communication appears to be part of the problem. These heat-health alerts are typically communicated through social media, online news coverage and weather apps, yet older people are among the least digitally connected groups in society. They are also among the most vulnerable to extreme heat.
Many people reported only taking protective action once alerts reached the highest severity levels (red). Younger people (18-25) were more likely to respond to a yellow alert by taking action.
The problem is not simply awareness. Among those who had received alerts, only 25% reported taking protective action after a yellow alert, with the number rising to 72% under a red alert. It would suggest that many people in England still do not perceive heat as a serious personal health risk. Others are unsure what actions to take or misunderstand what different alert levels actually mean. In the UK, heat is still culturally associated with “good weather”, making it harder for people to recognise when high temperatures become dangerous.
This suggests that adaptation to extreme temperatures is not only about changing buildings or installing air conditioning. It is also about changing heat risk perception, behaviour and improving how heat risk is communicated to the public. Clearer and more trusted communication, particularly through health and social care systems rather than relying mainly on digital platforms, could help reach vulnerable groups more effectively.
Official guidance during heat alerts includes simple but important measures to reduce heat exposure and prevent overheating.
What to do when it’s hot
keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
wear suitable clothing, seek shade and stay hydrated
avoid direct sun exposure between 11am and 3pm, when UV and temperatures are typically highest
plan physical activity, including exercise or dog walking, during cooler morning or evening hours rather than in peak afternoon heat.
Adapting to changing climate conditions remains essential in the long term. There were 1,311 heat-related deaths in England in 2024, and this was 282 more than predicted.
But improving heat-risk communication may be one of the fastest, cheapest and most immediate ways to reduce heat-related harm, especially for lower-income and vulnerable households who may have limited ability to cool their homes.
As heatwaves become more frequent in the UK, helping people recognise heat risk, receive alerts and act early may become just as important as adapting the buildings they live in.
Mehri Khosravi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
