Heat health alerts are designed to forewarn Brits of extreme temperatures – but it seems many people are ignoring them altogether.
A new study has warned that Boomers – individuals born between 1946 and 1964 – are the least likely group to follow safety advice.
Researchers from the University of East London surveyed more than 1,000 Brits about their exposure and response to heat health alerts.
The results revealed that 30 per cent of Brits don’t see alerts after they’re issued, while 41 per cent fail to take action.
‘Exposure to warnings was particularly low among older adults, lower–income households and people with lower levels of education,’ researcher Dr Mehri Khosravi explained in an article for The Conversation.
‘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.
‘They are also among the most vulnerable to extreme heat.’
The UK Health Security Agency and Met Office issue heat health alerts when there’s particularly hot weather forecast
The results revealed that 30 per cent of Brits don’t see alerts after they’re issued, while 41 per cent fail to take action
The UK Health Security Agency and Met Office issue heat health alerts when there’s particularly hot weather forecast.
The alerts range from yellow (least severe) to red (most severe), and can vary across different areas.
For example, a yellow alert was issued for the north–east, north–west, south–west, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions last week, while an amber alert was issued at the same time in the West Midlands, East Midlands, east of England, south–east, and London.
Dr Khosravi explained: ‘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.’
Until now, how these alerts are received and responded to has remained a mystery.
To get to the bottom of it, the researchers carried out an online survey in August 2025, including 1,097 participants.
Overall, 30 per cent of the respondents said they had never encountered a heat health alert.
Boomers – individuals born between 1946 and 1964 – are the least likely group to follow safety advice (stock image)
Of the 70 per cent who had seen the alerts, 59.3 per cent responded with protective action, while 40.7 per cent did not respond at all
‘Age was significantly associated with alert exposure,’ the researchers explained in their study, published in Energy Research & Social Science.
‘Younger adults were more likely to report having encountered heat alerts, particularly those aged 25–34 and 35–44, compared with adults aged 65 and over.’
Of the 70 per cent who had seen the alerts, 59.3 per cent responded with protective action, while 40.7 per cent did not respond at all.
The severity of the alert appears to play a role in the likelihood of action.
Nearly three–quarters of respondents (73.1 per cent) reported being very likely to act following a red alert, compared with 41.7 per cent for amber warnings and only 24.3 per cent for yellow alerts.
Dr Khosravi said: ‘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.
Nearly three–quarters of respondents (73.1 per cent) reported being very likely to act following a red alert, compared with 41.7 per cent for amber warnings and only 24.3 per cent for yellow alerts
‘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.’
The researchers hope the findings will spark improved heat–risk communication and understanding.
Dr Khosravi added: ‘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.’
