Heat Health: what you need to know for summer 2025
During the summer, many of us enjoy the longer days, warmer evenings, and time outdoors. But warmer weather also brings potential risks to health, especially when temperatures climb higher than usual.
This year, the Met Office 3-month outlook suggests that the likelihood of a warm summer in the UK is higher than that of a typical season, so we need to be prepared for the health impacts of heat. But how exactly does heat impact the body, and what can we do to avoid the negative effects?
Heat affects everyone
Most health impacts seen during heat events in England are from diseases associated with the heart, blood vessels and lungs. Our bodies naturally cool down through sweating and by increasing blood flow to the skin.
When the temperature outside the body is higher than the temperature of the skin, the only effective way to lose heat is through sweating. So, anything that reduces sweating can cause the body to overheat. This can happen due to:
- dehydration
- lack of breeze
- tight-fitting clothes
- certain medications
- conditions that affect the body’s ability to sweat
The choices we make during hot weather can also make a big difference to how hot we become: simple actions like using fans, wearing loose clothing, or drawing curtains to keep rooms cool, can help to keep temperatures at safer levels.
High temperatures can affect anyone, not just those traditionally seen as vulnerable. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, so it’s worth knowing the signs to look out for and how to respond.
Sunscreen and sun safety
Advice for adults and children on sunscreen and sun safety in the UK and abroad.
Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it’s cloudy.
There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects.
Aim to strike a balance between protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight.
Get ready for summer
With the summer months, sunshine and warmer weather finally here, it is important to remember the various health problems summer can bring that might affect you or your family.