Two amber alerts for cold were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) with affected services warned of a “rise in deaths” amid expected chilly weather
Brits are braced for a freezing start to the new year after health experts issued an amber weather warning for cold.
Two amber alerts for cold were issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with affected services warned of a “rise in deaths” amid weather that is “likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care”. The two warnings, designed to alert the health and social care sectors, were issued for the northwest and northeast and were brought into effect from 8pm on December 28. Both alerts are due to last until 8pm on January 5 next year.
The UKHSA said there will be a “likely increase in demand for health services”, along with “temperatures inside places like hospitals, care homes, and clinics dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks”. There are also further challenges for keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18C, while there could also be staffing issues due to potential travel delays and impacts on the transport and energy sectors.
A yellow cold warning, meaning there is a slightly lower risk than the amber alerts in place, is in place across much of England country with the following areas affected: southwest; southeast; London; East of England; the Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “As the colder weather sets in it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable. The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway said Brits are likley to see an icy blast as planet Earth spins into a new year. “It certainly looks like we are in for a taste of ‘winter’ as we welcome in the New Year, initially in the north, but more widely across the UK for the first week of 2026,” he said.
“Arctic air and strong northerly winds will bring cold or very cold conditions to all parts of the UK, and it will feel especially cold in the strong winds. Widespread and locally severe frosts are expected, along with the first snow of the winter for many.”
The UK’s weather service has issued two yellow weather warnings for later this week, with snow and ice expected in northern part of Scotland across January 1 and the following day.
“A yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued for northern Scotland on New Year’s Day and beyond, where frequent and heavy snow showers may lead to some travel disruption,” Mr Sidaway said. “These colder conditions and wintry hazards – snow, ice and strong winds – will develop more widely as we enter the New Year, with more warnings for snow and ice likely. It looks like this cold spell will last through at least the first week of January, so it’s important people keep up to date with the latest forecast and warnings.”
