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Cold health alerts begin as surge of Arctic air sees temperatures plummet

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office issued yellow cold health alerts for north-west England and the West Midlands, valid through midday Saturday. Daytime temperatures will stay capped in the single digits, while overnight lows could plummet to minus 7C. Forecasters anticipate scattered wintry precipitation across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and England alongside widespread frost. Temperatures will edge slightly higher over the weekend before a shift to wetter, low-pressure conditions next week.

Key points

  • Health and social care services face heightened demand alongside an increased risk to lif…: Health and social care services face heightened demand alongside an increased risk to life among vulnerable individuals.
  • Wintry showers consisting of rain, sleet, hail, and high-ground snow will primarily impac…: Wintry showers consisting of rain, sleet, hail, and high-ground snow will primarily impact northern Scotland and scattered northern regions.
  • The severe chill will ease slightly this weekend before low-pressure systems introduce we…: The severe chill will ease slightly this weekend before low-pressure systems introduce wetter and windier weather next week.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

Northerly winds are sweeping across the UK, bringing cold air from the Arctic and some of the most widespread low temperatures of the autumn so far.

Thursday afternoon's highs will remain in single digits for most whilst overnight lows will widely fall below freezing, potentially dropping to -7C.

Strong winds will bring a significant wind chill, especially on northern and eastern coasts, so it will feel colder than the reading on the thermometer would suggest.

Yellow cold health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have come into force.

Whilst the cold weather will come with sunshine in most areas, showers will also feature in northern parts of the UK, some of which could be wintry over high ground.

Which areas have cold health alerts?

The first cold health alerts of the season cover the West Midlands and north-west England, external.

They have been issued by the UKHSA, in association with the Met Office, and are valid from now until 12:00 on Saturday.

The yellow alerts warn of minor impacts on the health and social care sector,…

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