Cold And Snowy Week Ahead

Regular updates on cold weather and how to stay well during low temperatures.

Public Health England (PHE) has extended the current cold weather alert until midday on Friday 12 February as severe wintry conditions are expected to continue this week.

The Met Office has forecast that all regions across the country will experience bitterly cold weather with temperatures much lower than a typical winter.

Dr Owen Landeg, Group Leader, Extreme Events and Health Protection at PHE, said:

"Cold weather can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with heart and lung problems, as it increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

"So it’s really important during this particularly cold period, to keep checking on frail or older neighbours or relatives, especially those living alone or who have serious illnesses.

"Make a call, or socially-distanced doorstep visit if they live close by, to remind them to heat their home to at least 18 Celsius, 64.4 Fahrenheit and to keep up to date with the forecast. It’s also helpful to check they have enough food and drinks and any medicines they need.

"If people can’t heat all the rooms they use, it’s important to heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before going to sleep. Wearing a few thin layers is better at trapping heat than wearing one thick layer and having plenty of hot food and drinks is also effective for keeping warm.

"For people struggling to afford heating bills, Simple Energy Advice provides free advice on energy efficiency and national grants to help keep you warm this winter."

Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office Steve Ramsdale said:

"With cold air across all of the UK, any precipitation will fall as snow. Snow showers will continue to feed into eastern parts through the week. Many places will see further snow accumulations with a few centimetres likely quite widely. Some areas will see larger accumulations, with 20cm or more possible for some. Convergence lines, where showers organise into bands, becoming heavy and persistent, are likely to drive these larger accumulations and further warnings are likely to be issued as the locations affected become clearer.

"Overnight temperatures will be notably low through the week, especially in areas with lying snow. We can expect to see -10°C as far south as East Anglia later in the week. Daytime temperatures will also be cold, only reaching 1 or 2 degrees Celsius for many early in the week. With strong winds as well, the wind chill will make it feel much colder."

To check the latest weather forecast updates visit the Met Office website or app. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

This year PHE has supplemented the Cold Weather Plan for England with useful resources and advice on the concurrent risks of cold weather and COVID-19 and how to keep warm and keep well this winter.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cold-weather-plan-for-england

https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/11/11/health-matters-cold-weather-and-covid-19/