The Met Office has issued a rare amber alert for the entirety of England as temperatures are set to plummet. The UK Health Security Agency, in conjunction with the national forecaster, has issued a warning for every region of the country ahead of heavy snow and bracing temperatures.
The amber cold health alert is in place from 12pm Thursday, January 2, and will remain in place until the same time Wednesday, January 8. They anticipate that the freezing conditions will have “severe impacts across health and social care services”.
They said those aged 65 and over, and those with pre-existing health conditions, are most at risk as the freezing conditions could lead to a “rise in deaths”. Health services and transport are also likely to feel the pressure as the weather is set to cause travel chaos and a surge in admissions.
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 the forecast, the Met Office said: “It will be a cold but mostly sunny day across the UK.”
“Wintry showers for coasts exposed to the northerly breeze and North Sea. Remaining blustery in the north and east with lighter winds elsewhere.”, reports the Mirror.
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.”
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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.”
Yellow weather warnings have also been put in place for snow, affecting a total of 12 UK regions between noon on Saturday, January 4, and 9am on Monday, January 6. A new map released earlier today by WXCharts shows a “Beast from the East” weather front set to hit the British Isles within days.
The graphic depicts a huge wall of icy conditions sweeping over Scandinavia, through Europe, and blasting across the UK. Most of the country will experience freezing temperatures dropping to at least -10C, with some areas – mainly in the east and southeast – facing temperatures as low as -15C.
This comes after a two-week Arctic blast, which could result in up to 30 inches of snow in some regions. Despite a mild Christmas with temperatures in double figures and widespread fog, this is set to change as an icy chill moves in from the east.
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