Cold Weather Alert: Prepare for a Chilly Start to the New Year
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning to residents across the country as the new year approaches, with two amber health alerts in place for the North East and North West of England. The alerts, which will be in effect from 20:00 GMT on Sunday to 12:00 on January 5th, predict a rise in deaths, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable populations, due to the expected cold temperatures.
Temperatures are forecast to drop to around -4C, with snow anticipated in the North West on January 3rd and 4th. The UKHSA warns that these low temperatures will significantly impact health and care services, potentially leading to staffing issues due to travel delays. Additionally, indoor temperatures in hospitals and care homes may fall below the recommended levels for assessing health risks, and individuals may struggle to maintain the advised indoor temperature of 18C.
As the cold weather persists, the Met Office predicts that most of England will experience cloudy conditions overnight, with patches of frost and fog causing tricky traveling conditions on Monday morning. Brisk northwesterly winds could bring wintry showers to northern England and drizzle in the lead-up to New Year's Day.
From January 2nd to 11th, cold northerly winds in Scotland are expected to dominate the UK, bringing snow showers primarily to coastal areas moving south. Inland locations across central and southern regions will remain dry but cold. On Friday, the North East and North West will feel even colder due to wind chill, with temperatures of -4C potentially feeling like -8C.
The UKHSA has also issued yellow cold health alerts for the rest of England, including the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London. Temperatures in these areas are expected to fall to around 6C, with lows below freezing from New Year's Day. Dr. Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, emphasizes the importance of checking on vulnerable friends, family, and neighbors, as the predicted temperatures can have a serious impact on health, increasing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, especially for individuals over 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.
This cold snap has already caused the cancellation of several annual open water swimming events, as cold health alerts and weather warnings were issued for parts of the UK on Christmas Day.
