An Amber Cold health alert has been issued for every part of England this week with a warning that in some areas there could be a ‘rise in deaths’ as a result of freezing weather conditions.
With wintry weather forecast across the country in the coming days, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the warnings which start at 12pm today (Monday 6th January) and run for the rest of this week. All nine regions in England have been placed under an Amber Alert due to the potential impact on the health of local populations.
It comes after snow caused chaos across Yorkshire on Sunday and Monday with schools shut, flights cancelled as well as rail services and roads severely impacted.
In all parts of the country there is a warning that ‘significant impacts’ are possible across health and social care services. They include a rise in deaths particularly among the over-65s and people with health conditions.
The weather conditions mean that there will be an increase in demand for health services and there is a likelihood of staffing issues for essential services due to travel delays. The warnings also state that officials may struggle to keep hospitals, care homes and clinics warm enough so that temperatures remain above the recommended levels for health assessments.
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You can see full details of the health alert in your region of England by clicking on this interactive map.
The warnings start at 12pm today (Monday January 6) and run until midday on Sunday, January 12. While the amber alert has been issued for all areas of the country, the effects of the cold weather are ‘expected’ in the North West, North East and Yorkshire & The Humber, while in areas further south, the effects are considered ‘likely’ by the UKHSA.
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of snow and ice across most of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland today, followed by warnings affecting Western areas of England on Tuesday and southern England on Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to dip below freezing in many areas later this week.