Amber Cold Weather Warning Issued by Met Office and UK Health Security Agency.

An amber weather warning for cold temperatures will remain in place for five more days as Brits continue to battle extreme weather.

On Sunday, the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) upgraded a warning for cold weather to amber, which will remain in place until 12pm on Friday the 12th of January.

The amber alert will affect the north-west of England, the West Midlands, East Midlands and south-west of England while a yellow alert will be in place in the north-east of England, Yorkshire and The Humber, East of England, south-east of England and London.

All regions had previously been placed under a yellow alert from 09.00 on Saturday 6 January, with the Met Office forecasting a period of lower-than-average temperatures across this weekend and the coming week. North Cumbria and Scotland are expected to see some of the lowest temperatures across the UK.

Under the new CHA system introduced by UKHSA and the Met Office, an amber alert means that cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time, with potential for the whole population to be at risk and where other sectors may also start to observe impacts, indicating a coordinated response is required.

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.”

Steven Keates is a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster. He said: “The colder conditions across the UK are likely to be established for some time and will be a key theme of next week’s weather. However, the beginning of next week is likely to see the lowest temperatures of this colder spell, and by the end of next week we should start to see a gradual rise in values, at least for a time.”

Westmorland and Furness Council has said "It is also important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can, and to take other measures to protect yourself such as wearing lots of layers."

"Make sure you have sufficient food and medicine and take measures to reduce draughts in your home."

The council added they are prepared to respond to the forcast cold stretch and will be frequently monitoring weather conditions over the coming days, gritters will be deployed across the priority network where road temperatures reach near to or below zero degrees to keep communities safe and moving.