Overview
- The UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office have extended the South West’s amber cold-health alert to 12pm on Sunday, January 11 under the Weather Health Alerting system.
- An amber alert signals that cold conditions could affect the whole population and place extra pressure on health and social care services.
- UKHSA highlights elevated risks for people over 65, those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, and individuals sleeping rough.
- Public advice includes heating rooms used most often, reducing draughts, keeping bedroom windows closed, checking forecasts, ensuring food and medications are stocked, wearing layers, staying up to date with flu and COVID-19 vaccines if eligible, and using NHS 111 or 999 for help.
- The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for ice from midnight to 10am on Wednesday, January 7 across the region, and further snow or ice warnings may be issued at short notice.