The UK’s top health body has issued urgent cold weather alerts across large swathes of Britain as temperatures plunged to as low as -7C across the country.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber cold health alert for the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West of England until 12pm on Friday 12 January.
It comes as the Met Office warned of icy conditions and forecast 1-3cm of snow in some areas as wintry showers swept across the country overnight.
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Residents in the South East, northern England and parts of Scotland could also see snow on Monday, according to Google’s snow radar.
A yellow cold health alert remained in place for the North East, Yorkshire, the East and South East of England and London, the UKHSA said.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the United Kingdom into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
“Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions.
“Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year. If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65 it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days.
In parts of Scotland, temperatures plunged to as low as -7.5C overnight on Sunday. Up to 3cm of snow was forecast for the North Downs in Sussex.
Pictures from Maidstone in Kent captured the first of the showers as snow fell onto commuters and rooftops early this morning.
The warnings come as many parts of the country continue to grapple with the aftermath of Storm Henk which brought heavy rain, flooding and near-100mph winds.
Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Significant river flooding impacts are still expected today and over the next few days across parts of the river Thames in Oxfordshire as well as the River Trent near Nottingham, and the River Severn, including Gloucester.
“The prolonged wet weather and intense rainfall has led to flooding impacts and our thoughts are with all of those affected.”
The Department for Environmental and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced on Saturday the government had released flood grants for communities affected by the storm that started on 2 January. Significantly affected households and businesses could receive 100 per cent off their council tax and business rates for at least three months.
Grants of up to £2,500 are available to eligible small-to-medium-sized businesses, £5,000 could be given to property owners making their buildings more resilient to future floods, and farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land can apply for £25,000.
