Britain faces a severe Arctic cold snap. Health officials are warning of a "rise in deaths" as snow and ice warnings blanket the UK. The Met Office has issued amber alerts for northern Scotland and yellow warnings across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while the Health Secretary has cautioned that freezing conditions will add significant pressure to already-stretched NHS hospitals.
The amber snow warning for parts of northern Scotland takes effect from midday Friday until noon Saturday. Up to 40 cm of snow is forecast on higher ground and up to 20 cm on lower terrain. Yellow warnings cover large swathes of England and Wales, including London, Greater Manchester, and Cardiff, with around 2 cm of snowfall expected in some areas and up to 5 cm on higher ground.
The Met Office warned that "Windy conditions will also result in some drifting of snow and temporary blizzard conditions." in the most severely affected areas. The conditions could cause power cuts and strand vehicles in amber warning zones.
Health Warnings Escalate
The UK Health Security Agency has upgraded cold health alerts to amber across most of England, warning the weather is "likely" to cause significant impacts on health and social care services, including a "rise in deaths" among vulnerable populations. The alerts remain in place until 10am on January 6.
Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in health protection at the UKHSA, said: "The weather is forecast to be very cold across England over the coming few days. Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions. Exposure to cold can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections."
He urged people to check on vulnerable friends, family, and neighbours as the cold weather sets in.
NHS Under Pressure
Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned that the "bitingly cold snap" will add extra challenges to hospitals already facing winter pressures. Recent NHS data shows mixed performance, with flu hospitalizations down 13% to an average of 2,676 daily patients in the week ending December 28, but overall demand remaining high.
NHS 111 services recorded their second busiest day in two years on December 27, answering 87,318 calls. During Christmas week, the service handled 414,562 calls—almost 24,000 more than the previous week.
Streeting said: "In spite of all of the challenges the NHS faces this winter, the Herculean efforts of NHS staff and our investment and modernisation mean that hospital bed occupancy is lower than this time last year and ambulance handover performance is improving. But we still face intense pressures, and with this bitingly cold snap adding additional challenges, it is more vital than ever those eligible get their flu jab and people only attend A&E in an emergency."
Travel Disruption Expected
Heavy snowfall has already caused difficulties for motorists in the Highlands and north-east of Scotland on New Year's Day. The AA estimated 20.7 million car journeys across the UK on January 2, with travel disruption anticipated on roads, railways, and air services.
Chief Superintendent Scott McCarren, Police Scotland's head of road policing, advised: "Our advice is to plan ahead and consider if your journey is really necessary during the bad weather or if it can be delayed until conditions improve. If you need to travel, please drive to the conditions, be prepared for delays and allow extra time for your journey. Please don't drive through road closures, the decision to close roads is not taken lightly and is done for public safety."
Temperatures across the UK are struggling to breach freezing, with forecasts suggesting daytime highs around 0°C and overnight lows potentially falling into minus double digits. The coldest reading on New Year's Eve was -9.6°C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: "We expect this cold spell to persist into the weekend and on into next week, with further warnings possible as temperatures remain well below average and snow showers continue in places."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
