The latest news from the Met Office has confirmed what most of us are already feeling: July 2025 is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record. With temperatures soaring above 32°C in parts of the UK and amber heat alerts now a regular fixture, there’s growing concern not just for vulnerable residents, but for the people who keep cities running, like our delivery riders.

While heatwaves bring ice cream sales and pub garden chatter, they also bring real, often overlooked danger for those who work outside. For riders, this isn't a weather blip, it's an occupational hazard.

Heat Isn’t Just a Nuisance. It’s a Risk

Riders aren’t gliding through leafy parks. They’re navigating heavy traffic, delivering prescriptions, parcels and urgent items all while wrapped in protective gear and racing against delivery windows. The combination of physical exertion, asphalt heat radiation, and minimal time for breaks puts them at high risk for dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even collapse.

There’s no "pause" button when it’s 32°C and someone’s medication needs delivering before 6pm.

Pressure to Perform vs. Need for Protection

When orders stack up and customers expect near-instant service, the pressure on riders builds. Delays often feel personal to customers, but they're almost always situational. Riders aren’t slowing down because they want to. They're simply human, navigating conditions that machines would struggle with.

We’ve seen tyre blowouts, sunstroke incidents, and overheating batteries on e-bikes. All of it is preventable with smarter planning, patience, and empathy.

How You Can Help

–If your order’s running late, cheque the temperature before calling support a few minutes’ grace can mean a safer ride

–Consider early morning or late evening deliveries if possible

–If you spot a delivery rider in your neighbourhood, offer them water or even just a kind word it matters more than you think

Onelivery: Delivery with Responsibility

This heatwave isn’t just another summer headline. It’s a public health challenge and we’re meeting it the best way we know how: by putting our people first.

Onelivery isn’t just about parcels. It’s about protecting the people who make fast, local delivery possible. From prescription runs to last-minute gifts, our riders are out there doing what matters, and we’re backing them, every sweaty step of the way.

Your delivery matters. But so does the person delivering it. Choose Onelivery UK: where care isn’t optional, it’s the core of everything we do.