Cold health alert issued as Arctic air sweeps the UK
PA MediaThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow cold health alert for most of England, as Arctic air sweeps the country.
The alert comes ahead of the Met Office’s yellow warnings for snow and rain in parts of England and Wales, which will come into effect on Wednesday.
The cold snap has also led forecasters to issue fresh warnings for ice and snow, after temperatures dipped as low as -7.2C (19F) in the Highlands overnight on Monday.
Although earlier warnings for snow and ice expired on Tuesday morning, the Met Office warned commuters to remain vigilant due to the risk of black ice and slippery conditions.
Regions affected by the UKHSA’s yellow cold health alert include the East Midlands, the East of England, the North East, North West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the South West.
The alert will be in place from 18:00 on Tuesday until 18:00 on Friday, the UKHSA said.
The agency warns that the weather is likely to have “minor impacts on health and social care services, including increased use of healthcare services and a greater risk to life of vulnerable people”.
A yellow weather warning for snow across most of Wales and parts of western England will come into effect at 16:00 on Wednesday and will be in place until 06:00 on Thursday.
A separate yellow warning for rain will be in place for much of the south of England from 06:00 on Wednesday until Thursday at 08:00.
Monday brought blustery showers and a few brighter spells for much of the UK, with wintry rain continuing across Scotland and snow settling over higher ground.
By Monday night, colder Arcticair spread south, lowering snow levels across Scotland and increasing the risk of ice and snow showers in some areas.
Overnight on Monday, temperatures in England reached a low of -3.9C in Spadeadam, Cumbria, while Northern Ireland saw temperatures of -4.3C in Katesbridge, County Down.
Scotland, meanwhile, recorded lows of -7.2C at Loch Glascarnoch in the Highlands.
The coldest overnight temperature in Wales was recorded in Sennybridge, Powys, where the mercury hit -2.8C.
Tuesday is expected to be mostly dry and sunny for many. But with temperatures only reaching 3C to 6C and a brisk northerly wind, it will feel colder – particularly in eastern areas where wind chill could make it feel close to freezing.
Temperatures are set to fall close to freezing for most of the UK on Wednesday morning.
In parts of northern and north-east Scotland, temperatures could fall to -8C and -10C. Further ice warnings may come into force.
Weather conditions will become more unsettled again on Wednesday with a band of rain pushing in from the south and west. This could bring a mix of rain, sleet and hill snow, according to the Met Office. The forecaster said the system is being monitored closely with the potential for further snow warnings.
Later in the week, conditions are expected to turn drier and milder.
Getty ImagesMeanwhile, 64 flood warnings and 175 flood alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency across England on Tuesday – concentrated in the south and the Midlands – following a long spell of wet weather.
Two flood alerts were in place in Wales on Tuesday for the lower Severn catchment in Powys, and south Pembrokeshire.
Jonathan Day, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said more than 24,000 homes and businesses have been protected but about 330 flooded.
With further heavy rain forecast for southern England and South Wales on Wednesday, and the ground already saturated, more flood warnings or alerts could be issued.
An hour-by-hour forecast is available on the BBC Weather website and app.