All of England has been issued with amber cold health alerts as the UK prepares for heavy snowfall. The Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have jointly warned of plummeting temperatures.
An amber cold health alert will be in effect from noon today (Thursday, January 2) until noon on Wednesday, January 8. This indicates that the wintry conditions are expected to severely impact health and social care services.
There could be an increase in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or those with health conditions. Additional strain may be placed on health services, while the transport and energy sectors could also be affected.
The alerts have been issued for the West Midlands, East Midlands, north east of England, north west of England, Yorkshire and The Humber, the east of England, London, the south East of England and the south west of England.
In its forecast for Thursday, January 2, the Met Office stated: “It will be a cold but mostly sunny day across the UK.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“Wintry showers for coasts exposed to the northerly breeze and North Sea. Remaining blustery in the north and east with lighter winds elsewhere.”
It added: “A cold and frosty night will then follow for all with icy stretches possible. Wintry showers will persist in the north and patchy freezing fog is possible in the west.”
The Met Office has issued a forecast for Friday, January 3, stating: “Cold again with plenty of winter sunshine on offer, especially in the south and east. Wintry showers affecting northern and western coasts, winds staying generally light.”
For the period from Saturday, January 5, to Monday, January 6, it added: “Possibly disruptive rain and snow arriving in the south on Saturday, moving north into central areas on Sunday where it will turn milder. Colder, drier with wintry showers on Monday.”
The cold snap could lead to an increase in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or those with health conditions. This could put additional strain on health services, as well as potentially impacting the transport and energy sectors.
A yellow weather warning for snow has been issued by the Met Office, affecting 12 regions of the UK from noon on Saturday, January 4, until 9am on Monday, January 6.