Cold weather health alerts issued ahead of snow
Temperatures have dropped as colder arctic air spreads across the UK, with amber cold weather health alerts in place ahead of a weekend of snow forecast for much of the country.
Met Office yellow warnings for snow and ice have been issued for much of England and Wales and parts of Scotland over the course of three days, with cold conditions forecast to continue into Monday.
Separate warnings for ice are in force on Thursday and Friday after much of the UK was lashed by strong winds and heavy rain, which led to widespread flooding across the north-west of England.
A number of flood warnings and alerts stay in place in north-west England as a major clean-up operation continues after hundreds were evacuated from their homes.
Colder conditions bring to an end a run of unseasonably mild weather over the festive period, which saw highs of between 11C and 13C on Christmas Day.
Temperatures are set to be around 5C below the early January average, with a wind chill making it feel even colder.
Amber cold health alerts cover the whole of England but are not in place for the rest of the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issues the alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people’s wellbeing, in particular those who are elderly or have health conditions.
The alerts provide early warning to healthcare providers, and suggest actions such as actively monitoring individuals at a high risk, and checking that people most vulnerable to cold-related illnesses have visitor or phone call arrangements in place.
A yellow warning for ice is in place across north-west England, western Scotland and Northern Ireland until Friday morning as temperatures drop through the night.
Western Wales is also covered by a yellow ice warning from this evening until 10:00 GMT on Friday.
The Met Office also warns of snow in north-east Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, into Friday.
Over the weekend, conditions will remain cold.
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On Saturday from noon until midnight, a yellow warning for snow and ice is in place covering all of England apart from the south-west, and the majority of Wales
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A separate yellow warning for snow covers Scotland from midnight on Sunday until 12:00 GMT on Monday
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Saturday is likely to be the coldest day as most areas will see top temperatures of around -1C to 2C
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While we are now in a chillier spell with wintry showers and potential for significant snow over the weekend for some, this is nothing unusual for winter in the UK
Age UK’s director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments “into sharp relief”, and added that the charity had already been contacted by people “worrying about what to do”.
She urged older people “to do everything they can to stay warm” including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams added that energy companies had “an obligation to help” those struggling and there may be support from local councils too.
The prime minister previously said it was important to protect pensioners who most needed the allowance, but many did not need it because they were “relatively wealthy”. The cut aims to save £1.5bn a year.