UK weather: Met Office releases amber health warning as snow settles across Britain after -10C freeze

FORECASTERS have put an amber health warning in place after temperatures in Britain plunged to -10C last night.

Many Brits are waking up to snow this morning – and the UK Health Security Agency put much of the country under a Cold Health Alert.

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Heavy snow falling in Kent yesterdayCredit: Stephen Huntley/HVC
South Limburg is covered by a thin layer of snow

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South Limburg is covered by a thin layer of snowCredit: Rex
Motorists pictured battling the snowy conditions yesterday on the Cumbria - County Durham border

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Motorists pictured battling the snowy conditions yesterday on the Cumbria – County Durham borderCredit: Jordan Crosby

It covers the North West of England, West Midlands, East Midlands, South East and the South West of England until 12pm on Friday.

An amber alert means that cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, with the potential for the whole population to be at risk.

Scots were this morning hit with -10C temperatures while the mercury plunged as low as -6C in Wales.

It comes as snow flurries hit parts of England’s south in the early hours of this morning.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said that not much of the snow appeared to have settled, with some areas seeing a “dusting of maybe one centimetre or two of snow”.

He said Tuesday would be drier with limited snowfall, apart from some wintry showers in Cornwall.

Mr Morgan said: “We’re not expecting much in the way of further snowfall on Tuesday. In actual fact, it will be much sunnier, particularly in the south compared to Monday.”

Mr Morgan said a blast of cold air coming down from the north, mostly affecting Scotland, was likely to bring more cold conditions over the weekend with some snow showers.

Train services warned customers to be careful when using their services due to icy conditions but there were no reports of major disruptions to services.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.

How to keep warm at home

YOU should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you.

Low indoor temperatures can have a serious impact on your health, especially if you have medical conditions or are older.

Simple changes can help to keep you and your home warm:

  • Try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in, such as the living room or bedroom, to at least 18C
  • Try to reduce draughts; you can fit draft excluders around doors cheaply
  • Keep your bedroom windows closed at night
  • Wear several layers of thinner clothing; this could keep you warmer than one thicker layer.

You should also try not to sit still for more than an hour or so and stretch your limbs regularly.

It is also important to get vaccinated to help reduce your risk of respiratory illnesses, to treat minor ailments like sore throats and colds quickly, and to call NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency if you need to.

Source: UKHSA

“Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions.

“Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year.

“If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days.”

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