Nine amber cold weather health warnings issued as -7C chill & 12ins of snow puts Brits at risk – is your area affected?
AMBER cold weather health alerts have been issued for all of England ahead of a week of low temperatures.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned the imminent cold snap could put the elderly at risk of death.
Amber alerts have been issued from 12pm on Thursday until January 8.
A rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, is likely, the UKHSA said.
Temperatures could fall as low as -8°C on Thursday night in rural southern Scotland and northern England, the Met Office said.
It will also be cold in rural Wales and the south west of England with -6°C expected.
The weather alert service warns the public in England when low temperatures could damage their health.
Run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, the system was introduced in June 2023.
While yellow alerts are issued during periods of cold weather that pose a risk to elderly people or those with serious health conditions, amber alerts are put in place when a wider impact is expected.
Fresh weather warnings have also been issued by the Met Office for ice ahead of a blast of snow over the weekend.
The yellow warning indicates there could be icy surfaces in northern and western Scotland, the north west of England and Northern Ireland.
It will remain in place from 5pm on Thursday until 10am on Friday morning, and could make for difficult travelling conditions, the forecaster warned.
A snow and ice warning is also in place covering parts of northern Scotland between 4pm on Thursday and 10am on Friday.
Scattered wintry showers will be replaced by a longer spell of rain and sleet on Thursday night, particularly across western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As temperatures dip below freezing, this will lead to a risk of ice on untreated surfaces, the forecaster said.
A yellow warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.
Full list of areas affected
North East
North West
Yorkshire and The Humber
East Midlands
West Midlands
East of England
London
South East
South West
About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and the Pennines, the forecaster added.
Strong winds could lead to snow drifts in some areas, and freezing rain as temperatures creep up could add to the risk of ice.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “At the moment we’ve issued a very large snow warning for Saturday until Monday but it doesn’t mean that everywhere within that warning could see snow, it’s just a heads-up there could be some impacts.”
On Thursday, London councils activated an emergency accommodation protocol for people sleeping rough in freezing conditions.
The emergency measures, which will see extra beds made available, have been active for three nights so far this winter.