Staying safe during a heatwave – advice

08 July 2025 - An amber heat health alert has been issued for London by the UK Health Security Agency. It is expected to be in place from 11 July 2025 at 12 midday until 14 July at 9am

We advise anyone travelling to our hospitals to stay in the shade as much as possible between 11.00am and 3.00pm, and to drink plenty of fluids.

Staff at King’s are helping our patients and visitors keep cool over the coming days, with a range of measures in place, including making sure plenty of cold water is available, ventilating our wards, and turning off unnecessary electrical equipment and lighting.

When the weather starts to get hotter, many people – especially those in high risk groups, such as older people, babies, young children, and those with heart, respiratory and serious health problems – can suffer from heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, and sunburn.

As a result, please consider the following actions to keep cool during the current hot weather, which are applicable to everyone:

• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol. Take water with you, if travelling
• Keep windows closed when the room is cooler than outside, but open them at night when the temperatures has dropped
• Close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler, and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• Apply suncream regularly, and wear a hat 
• Have cool showers or baths, put a loose, cotton, damp cloth or scarf on the back of the neck, and spray or splash your face with cold water frequently to help keep your body cool.

For more advice on how to stay safe during hot weather, including how to keep your home cool, visit the UK Health Security Agency website.

This article was updated on 11 July. It was updated when the heat health warning changed from yellow to amber.