Key Highlights
- The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow alert due to sub-zero temperatures.
- Cold conditions are forecast in several major cities including Manchester and Glasgow.
- A yellow ‘cold health alert’ with a risk score of 7 is in place.
- 87 flood warnings and 151 flood alerts are currently active for England.
The Cold Front Looms: UK Health Alert Activated
A yellow weather alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) as temperatures in parts of the United Kingdom plummet to as low as -4C. The alert, set between Friday and Monday, highlights a greater risk for vulnerable people during this cold snap.
Freezing Conditions Across Major Cities
The Met Office has issued freezing weather warnings for major cities including Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Derry. The coldest conditions are predicted in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, where temperatures could drop to -4C on Friday evening into Saturday morning.
Health Alert Activated
The UKHSA has issued a yellow ‘cold health alert’ with a risk score of 7. This means the weather is likely to pose a greater risk to vulnerable people and have minor impacts on health and social care services. The alert comes as flood warnings and alerts are already in place for various regions, compounding concerns about public safety.
Widespread Flood Warnings
The Environment Agency has issued 87 flood warnings and 151 flood alerts for England. These warnings indicate ongoing groundwater flooding that is likely to affect Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, and West Sussex over the next four days.
River flooding is expected along the River Trent and rivers across Somerset and Wiltshire on Wednesday. The Met Office warns that rain is likely to be heavy at times, with 15-25mm due to fall quite widely, building up to potential 30-40mm over high ground.
Specific Cold Weather Conditions
A fresh weather warning of snow and ice has been issued for Thursday and Friday across Scotland. The affected regions include Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Orkney and Shetland, as well as south-west Scotland, Lothian Borders, and Strathclyde.
Temperatures will fall quickly, leading to ice on untreated surfaces. Snow is predicted above 300-400 metres, with up to 10cm expected to accumulate in Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Perthshire by the end of Wednesday.
The warning covers regions including Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Aberdeen, and Aberdeenshire on the east coast, while it extends westward to Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, and West Dunbartonshire.
As of Wednesday morning, Cardinham in Cornwall has recorded some rain every single day this year. The area, along with County Down in Ireland, logged their wettest January on record, while Northern Ireland endured its wettest in 149 years. Several daily rainfall records were broken across the UK.
The combination of cold weather and ongoing flood warnings makes for a challenging scenario for residents and authorities alike. It is crucial to stay informed and take necessary precautions as temperatures drop and weather conditions worsen.
