07 January 2024 , 21:48
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Britain is braced for a bitter icy blast after last week’s deluge as an amber cold health alert is issued for large parts of the country.
Snow and ice are forecast early this week as temperatures plummet. Many communities are still coping with the severe floods that followed Storm Henk and now health chiefs and the Met Office say wintery conditions could bring more misery.
An amber cold health alert for the North West of England, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West England, issued by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, runs until 12pm next Friday. It means “cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period”.
There is also a yellow cold health alert for the North East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, East England, South East England and London. Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections and affect the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.
The recent flooding nightmare is set to be replaced by wintry scenes (Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock)Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “It is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold. Try to heat rooms where you spend most of your time.”
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
The Environment Agency has estimated more than 1,800 properties were flooded after Henk, with 172 flood warnings and 176 flood alerts in place yesterday in England.
Labour said the Government had been “asleep at the wheel” over flood warnings. PM Rishi Sunak said: “We’ve invested £5.2billion in flood defences, that’s a record sum.”
A man aged 40 and a boy of 16 died after a car was submerged in the Louth Canal near Tetney, Lincs, on Saturday.