The Met Office has issued a Level 3 Cold Weather Alert. There is a 90% probability of severe cold weather / icy conditions / heavy snow between today (29 December) and 0900 on 1 Jan 2021 in parts of England.
A Level 3 Cold Weather Alert is one level below a National Emergency. Level 3 alerts require social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups.
Advice: Look out for friends and family who may be vulnerable to the cold, and ensure they have access to warm food and drinks and are managing to heat their homes adequately. Try to maintain indoor temperatures to at least 18°C, particularly if you are not mobile, have a long-term illness or are 65 or over. Avoid exposing yourself to cold or icy outdoor conditions if you are at a higher risk of cold-related illness or falls and stay up to date with the latest weather forecasts on the Met Office website.
A spokesperson from the Met Office said:
"This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Please refer to the national Cold Weather Plan and your Trust's emergency plan for appropriate preventive action.
"The current spell of colder weather is expected to continue through the remainder of this week, due to cold northerly air affecting the country.
"Temperatures are expected to fall be at persistently low single figures, particularly across the northern England, with an increased risk of meeting alert criteria.
"All areas are likely to see cold, overnight conditions, with a risk of icy patches and overnight frosts. Temperatures in some areas will then remain in low single figures during the daytime.
"Showers will be mainly restricted to coastal areas, but where these move inland, they may turn wintry, with low temperatures resulting in a chance of snow to low levels at times, especially across the north. An area of rain, which could turn to sleet or snow at times, is forecast to affect southern regions and maybe southern central areas from Wednesday afternoon and perhaps into Thursday.
"Although there is low confidence in the exact track and northerly extent of the rain, sleet and snow, there is a risk that it could produce snow accumulations to low levels across parts of southern and southeastern England.
"A widespread ice risk is then forecast following the clearance of the rain. The trend in temperatures and wintry conditions will be monitored, with a likelihood that the warning will be extended through into next week."
