Health fears as temperatures plunge to Minus 3 - map shows every place at risk

The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellowish acold wellness alert crossed astir of England, arsenic temperatures are expected to person 'minor impacts' connected wellness and societal services

Several parts of the UK are facing a yellowish acold wellness alert arsenic temperatures plunge to -3C, putting the astir susceptible radical astatine risk.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an alert covering astir of England this play and astatine the opening of adjacent week. The alert is successful unit from 6pm connected Friday, January 17 until 9am connected Tuesday, January 21.

All regions successful England, but for the South West, are covered by the alert. UKHSA said: "Forecast weather is apt to person insignificant impacts connected wellness and societal attraction services, including accrued usage of healthcare services by susceptible radical and greater hazard to beingness of susceptible people."

But crossed Yorkshire and The Humber, the informing is much stark arsenic the portion is warned of the hazard of "significant impacts" crossed wellness and societal attraction services. This tin see a emergence successful deaths, peculiarly among those aged 65 and implicit oregon with wellness conditions, arsenic good arsenic impacts connected the workforce affecting transportation of services.

The UKHSA besides warned determination is simply a apt summation successful request for wellness services and that acold upwind could marque it progressively hard to support indoor conditions astatine the recommended 18C, expanding the hazard for susceptible people. While the South West is not covered by the alert, UKHSA said it is imaginable that the portion could look insignificant impacts crossed wellness and societal services, but this is not expected.

The informing comes arsenic the Met Office revealed upwind conditions are facing "significant change" this weekend, with lows of -3C. Areas including Northumberland and County Durham are acceptable to look freezing conditions this evening.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "Many places successful England and Wales volition driblet adjacent to freezing, with immoderate areas going below." Weather maps presently maps amusement stronger winds coming successful disconnected the Atlantic from astir Wednesday, sparking the commencement of an unsettled play lasting days.

Experts astatine the Met Office said this alteration successful the mercury is down to a premix of Arctic acold air, and tropical lukewarm aerial arsenic a large acold play strikes North America. Combined, arsenic it tracks eastwards, it strengthens the pitchy stream, creating much unsettled stormy upwind for Brits.

And upwind modelling maps from WXCharts person pinpointed the day we tin expect wintry conditions to return. The maps amusement a beastly tempest coming successful from the Atlantic connected January 27, hitting each portion of the UK from the acold northbound of Scotland down to the southbound seashore of England. Most places volition spot rain, with the information indicating 5mm per hr downpours successful little elevated regions.

However, for immoderate Brits aggravated snowfall appears to beryllium connected the cards. At astir midday connected January 27, the maps amusement snowfall falling astatine a staggering complaint of astir 10cm per hr crossed some bluish and confederate Scotland arsenic good arsenic successful the Pennines. Edinburgh and Inverness some look to beryllium successful enactment for a important dusting.

As that upwind beforehand sweeps eastward and distant from the UK, different is expected to deed occidental regions the pursuing day. Weather maps for January 28 amusement snowfall falling astatine a complaint of astir 10cm per hr crossed Wales and 3cm per hr successful Scotland.

In its long-range forecast from January 22 to January 31, the Met Office says: "A modulation to a alternatively much changeable and astatine times unsettled upwind signifier is apt to hap during the archetypal fewer days of this period. Outbreaks of rainfall and freshening winds volition astir apt marque inroads from the southwest during Thursday up of conditions much wide becoming wetter and windier by adjacent weekend."

UK 5 time upwind forecast

Today:

Rather cloudy, though immoderate agleam oregon sunny spells, chiefly implicit and to the northbound of precocious ground. Some patchy rainfall and drizzle successful places, and possibly snowfall grains successful the south. Mild successful the north, chilly successful the south.

Tonight:

Another cloudy night, though wide spells processing successful the northbound and west. Patchy rainfall and drizzle, and a hazard of snowfall grains, successful the south. Turning chilly nether wide skies.

Sunday:

A cloudy day, with outbreaks of rainfall successful the acold westbound dilatory easing. A continued hazard of drizzle and snowfall atom successful the southbound wherever unreality is heavy enough. Chilly.

Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:

A cloudy outlook done the commencement of the caller moving week, with showery rainfall spreading erratically eastwards. Temperatures mostly astir mean successful the north, but chilly further south.