Overview
- The Met Office has issued a rare amber extreme-heat warning for parts of England and Wales covering 1am on Monday 22 June to 23:59 on Thursday 25 June, with forecasts of mid-30s°C, high humidity and tropical nights.
- The MHRA, UKHSA, NHS and pharmacy experts say several common drug classes raise heat-related risks, especially beta‑blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, metformin and insulin.
- Doctors and pharmacists explain how drugs increase danger: some reduce sweating or slow heart rate so the body cannot cool, diuretics raise fluid loss, and heat can speed insulin absorption or degrade injectables, raising hypoglycaemia risk.
- Officials and pharmacists advise patients not to stop prescribed medicines, to check storage instructions for heat-sensitive drugs, to increase appropriate fluids, avoid peak heat, monitor blood pressure and blood sugar, and seek emergency care for heatstroke signs.
- Older adults, infants and people with chronic conditions or on multiple medicines are most at risk and may need extra support from carers; the warning also signals likely wider disruption to daily life and health services during the spell.