Rise in deaths' predicted as amber cold health alerts issued in northern England

"The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued two amber warnings for north-east and north-west England, which will be in place between 8pm on Sunday until midday on Monday 5 January. The agency warned that expected low temperatures would probably result in the increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and could lead to a rise in the number of deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or those with pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases."

"Temperatures inside buildings such as hospitals, care homes and clinics are predicted to drop and it will be challenging for people to keep indoor temperatures at the recommended level of 18C, leading to more risk to vulnerable individuals, the agency warned. All other regions in England will be under a less serious yellow alert for this period, indicating that there is still potential for a significant impact on the health services in these regions."

"The Met Office forecast that most of England will be cloudy overnight, and there will be patches of frost and fog also, bringing tricky travelling conditions on Monday morning. Temperatures are expected to fall to as low as -1C overnight in Penrith and hover around 0C in areas of the Lake District where the amber cold health alert is in place, while temperatures in northern areas of Scotland will fall further, to -6C or -7C."

Two amber cold-health alerts cover north-east and north-west England from 8pm Sunday until midday Monday 5 January due to expected low temperatures. Low temperatures are likely to increase healthcare demand and raise deaths among people aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Vulnerable younger people and those sleeping rough are also at risk. Indoor temperatures in hospitals, care homes and clinics are predicted to fall below the recommended 18C. Other regions face a yellow alert with possible health-service impacts, and staffing, transport and energy sectors could experience disruption.

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