A YELLOW cold weather health alert has been issued for the country over the New Year.
Plummeting temperatures could impact everyone, not just vulnerable people, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned.
The village of Rhes-y-Cae during heavy snowfall in Flintshire[/caption]
Spectacular Fireworks surround Big Ben at midnight on New Years Eve[/caption]
The alert covers the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands.
Yellow alerts will also be in place for the East of England, London, South East and South West, from 9am tomorrow.
Vulnerable people, including those aged 65 plus and Brits with underlying health conditions, are most at risk.
“We may also be see impacts on younger age groups,” the warning added.
Hospitals, GP surgeries, and pharmacies will “likely” be busier than normal for an “extended” period as demand increases, which can have a knock-on effect on the “whole population.”
Temperatures inside hospitals and care homes may fall below the recommended threshold.
Travel delays, transport issues and energy problems might also trigger medical staffing problems, putting lives at risk, the UKHSA said.
The weather alert service warns the public in England when high or low temperatures could damage their health.
Run by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, the system was introduced in June 2023.
Yellow alerts are issued during periods of cold weather that pose a risk to elderly people or those with serious health conditions.
It comes as heavy rain and high winds are causing disruption in much of the country.
Blizzards are forecast in Scotland and there has been widespread cancellation of New Year’s Eve events.
Almost every part of the UK is covered by at least one of multiple Met Office weather warnings between Monday and Wednesday.
On New Year’s Eve, an amber rain warning is in force in the Highlands and Moray until 5pm.
Cold health alerts
North East
North West
Yorkshire and the Humber
East Midlands
West Midlands
East of England
London
South East
South West
A yellow warning for snow and rain covers most of Scotland until midnight, which “may bring significant disruption in the build up to new year”.
Forecasters said delays to all types of transport are “likely” on New Year’s Eve as strong winds persist and may reach speeds of up to 70mph in parts of England and Northern Ireland.
Parts of central and southern Scotland and northern England are covered by a yellow warning for wind from 7am until 11pm.
There is a separate wind warning covering Northern Ireland from 6am until 2pm.
A 24-hour yellow warning for rain will come into force across much of Wales and north-west England from 6pm on Tuesday.
A yellow warning for snow is in place until midnight in Orkney and Shetland.
Outdoor Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh have already been cancelled, as have planned public fireworks displays in Blackpool, Newcastle, the Isle of Wight and Ripon, North Yorkshire.
City Hall in London said it is continuing “to monitor the weather forecast closely”.
The Met Office warned “blizzard conditions are possible”, especially in the far northern regions of Sutherland and Caithness.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England are covered by a swathe of Met Office weather warnings[/caption]
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