Heat health alert issued for the East Midlands

A yellow heat health alert is in effect from 9AM on 22/05/2026 until 5PM on 27/05/2026 across the East Midlands.

NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board is reminding people to be careful in the sun, and especially when the heat health alert is in effect over this bank holiday weekend.

Staying safe in the sun

Whilst exposure to the hot weather can affect anyone, some people are particularly vulnerable. It’s important to take some essential steps to avoid becoming unwell through conditions such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Wear the right clothing, staying in the shade and using suncream.
Use a sunscreen with a 5* UVA and at least an SPF 30 of. Re-apply every two hours, or more often if you have been swimming or exercising. For more information visit Sunscreen and sun safety – NHS
Drink plenty of water. Cover up with a hat and long sleeves. Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face and neck.
Wear UV blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Sun damage to the skin is most likely between 11am and 3pm between March and October. But sunlight can be strong enough to cause sunburn at other times of the day and year, and sometimes even on cloudy days.

Who’s most at risk

Those most vulnerable during a hot weather are:

Older people, especially those over 75, living on their own or in care homes.
People with serious long-term illnesses including heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney disease.
Those on multiple medications that may make them more likely to be affected by warm weather. Most medicines should be stored somewhere cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.
People who spend a lot of time outside or in warm places including those living in top floor flats or who work outside.
Those who find it hard to keep cool e.g. babies and children, those with drug or alcohol addictions or with Alzheimer’s disease.

You should also take extra care in the sun if you:

have pale, white or light brown skin
have freckles or red or fair hair
have light coloured eyes
tend to burn rather than tan
have many moles
have skin problems relating to a medical condition
are only exposed to intense sun occasionally (for example, while on holiday)
are in a hot country where the sun is particularly intense
have a family history of skin cancer

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: know the signs

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body overheats and cannot cool down. The condition doesn’t usually require emergency medical attention if you’re able to cool yourself down within 30 minutes. However, if you do not take action to cool yourself down, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke.

Common symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

tiredness
weakness
feeling faint
headache
muscle cramps
feeling or being sick
heavy sweating
intense thirst

Heatstroke is where the body is no longer able to cool down and the body temperature becomes dangerously high.

Common symptoms of heatstroke 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. If you think someone has heatstroke you should dial 999 and then try to cool them down.

To find out more about symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke visit Heat exhaustion and heatstroke – NHS

How to cool down

If you start to feel the symptoms of heat exhaustion, take steps to cool yourself down including:

moving to a cooler place e.g. somewhere in the shade or a room with air conditioning, avoid direct sunlight
remove any extra layers of clothing like a jacket or socks
drink cool water, a sports or rehydration drink, or eat cold and water rich foods like ice-lollies or watermelon
apply cool water by spray or sponge to exposed skin, and using cold packs wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck can also help

You should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

If you are concerned about symptoms, or they are worsening, seek medical advice by contacting NHS 111 or in an emergency dial 999.

For more information about how to stay safe visit Choose Well Lincolnshire – Lincolnshire ICB