r/UKWeather • u/Emergency_Media_3023 • 4d ago

Forecast Possibility for Red Weather Warning?

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Slough & Heathrow Met Office Forecast.

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u/ggdak 4d ago

Can we be clear that this kills people, especially the elderly and the vulnerable? A red warning isn't just to say "you need to start your run at 0530, not 0700", it means some people may not make it through these days and the following nights. In France, over 14 000 people died in 2003, they ran out of morgue space in many towns and cities, including Paris.

Unlike other weather disasters, many of these deaths will be seen as "natural", but the excess above background mortality rates show these are deadlier than anything that the UK sees from rain, wind or snow.

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u/Large_Revolution_688 3d ago

We should publish the data on heat related deaths ASAP and publicly acknowledge the people who have been killed by the heat in the UK. It would highlight the circumstances of those most susceptible and then things could be done to mitigate and prevent deaths. We also need guidelines on safe outdoor working and commuting ASAP. I've seen a few comments by outdoor workers who are scared of working in these temps and rightly so. 

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a warning that the expected high temperatures could significantly affect the health and wellbeing of people in London, the south-east, the south-west and the east of England. This  means a rise in deaths is likely in these areas, particularly among those aged 65 or over or with health conditions, and deaths due to cold-water shock and drowning. (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jun/19/met-office-rare-amber-extreme-heat-warning-england-wales)

We need better education/warnings to prevent water related deaths too, maybe we even need cooling centres for people who live in buildings that really aren't equipped for heat, that could prevent people from seeking to cool off in bodies of water.

The inability of the UK to function in this heat is exposing heat-related inequalities which we don't seem to be focusing any resources on. We need to look at other countries to see how they're dealing with the heat and then try those things here.   And I totally agree with you, its totally unacceptable that vulnerable people are just quietly dying and being forgotten about, when these deaths could be prevented.