How do I keep children and young people (under 18) safe at training and matches in hot weather in England? Heat-Health Alerts, vigorous activity, water, shade and sun cream, and spotting and treating heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Heat-Health Alerts are issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) together with the Met Office when hot weather is forecast that could affect people's health. They come in four colours (green, yellow, amber and red) and are issued for regions of England.
Sports governing bodies and competitions may have their own hot-weather rules (for example drinks breaks or postponements), which sit alongside this guidance.
UKHSA's Heat-Health Alert levels:
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green (preparedness) | No alert issued: conditions are likely to have minimal impact on health |
| Yellow (response) | Heat that would be unlikely to affect most people but could affect those who are particularly vulnerable. Can also be issued when forecast confidence is low |
| Amber (enhanced response) | Weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service; a more co-ordinated response may be needed |
| Red (emergency response) | Significant risk to life even for healthy people |
UKHSA's guidance for children specifically says to relax uniform rules during amber and red alerts, and that children should not do vigorous physical activity on very hot days.
UKHSA advises signing up for Weather-Health Alerts from UKHSA and the Met Office. To receive alerts directly by email, register using the form linked from GOV.UK's "Heat-Health Alerting system" page. Current alerts for each region of England are also shown on the UKHSA data dashboard (ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk).
Separately, the Met Office issues its own extreme heat warnings (amber or red only) through the National Severe Weather Warning Service. The two systems run side by side with slightly different audiences.
No. UKHSA's guidance is clear: "Children should not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days."
UKHSA's current guidance (updated July 2026) does not set a temperature at which this applies. It is written for schools and early years settings, and also advises:
Applied to a training session, that points to lower-intensity work, shade and water, or moving the session away from the hottest conditions. Whether a match is postponed is decided by the league or competition under its own rules, which vary between sports.
UKHSA says all children can be at risk from hot weather because of their physiology, their behaviour and their activity levels. Those potentially at greater risk include:
UKHSA also notes that the signs of heat stress get worse with physical activity, which is why it advises against vigorous activity on very hot days.
UKHSA's guidance for children in hot weather:
UKHSA doesn't set a specific amount or a drinks-break schedule. Your sport's governing body or competition may set its own rules on drinks breaks in hot weather.
UKHSA's advice for children outdoors in hot weather:
UKHSA describes two earlier stages before heatstroke.
Heat stress
These signs get worse with physical activity.
Heat exhaustion
If not treated, heat stress and heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, which is a medical emergency.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency and can be fatal. UKHSA lists these signs:
If you suspect heatstroke, call 999, then cool the child down while waiting for help.
UKHSA's first-aid steps for heat exhaustion:
If you suspect heatstroke (for example confusion, a seizure or loss of consciousness), call 999 first and keep cooling them while you wait.
UKHSA notes that signs of heat stress get worse with physical activity and, if untreated, can progress to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
UKHSA's guidance:
Signs that point to heatstroke rather than heat exhaustion include confusion or lack of co-ordination, a seizure, loss of consciousness, a body temperature of 40°C or above, red hot skin (sweaty or dry), a fast heartbeat and fast, shallow breathing.
For heat exhaustion that is getting worse, or if you are worried, get medical advice from NHS 111.