"Don’t go outside in the morning or evening", NHS warns as Britain braces for snow

UK Health Security Agency issues amber cold weather alert for England from Thursday into next week



The NHS has warned people not to go outside early in the morning or late at night during the snowy weather expected this week.

The health service also urged the public to stock up on food and medication amid warnings of a rise in deaths and risks to the vulnerable caused by plummeting temperatures over the next week.

Temperatures fell as low as -7.4C on Thursday and were set to drop below zero again on Friday. Ice and snow were expected to bring disruption to the roads, with rail users told to expect delays.

In the West Midlands, the NHS Black Country integrated care board warned of the public to be careful of slips, trips and falls.

“Avoid going out early in the morning when frost is thick or late at night when it’s dark,” it said, adding that people should wear shoes with good grip and keep their hands free to stabilise themselves.

In Herefordshire, the Wye Valley NHS Trust told people to “make sure you have sufficient food and medicine and take measures to reduce draughts in your home”. George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, in Nuneaton, issued the same advice.

Joint advice for the winter period from the NHS and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) urges people to check their medicine cabinets for essentials and to keep active by not sitting still for more than an hour and wearing several layers of thinner clothing.

The warnings are not the first to be issued by the state over so-called “extreme” weather. Last winter, NHS Scotland urged the public to walk “like penguins” to avoid slipping on ice, while the Met Office has previously told elderly people to wear a hat in warm weather.

The UKHSA upgraded an earlier yellow warning for the whole of the country over the next week and said there would be “significant impacts” on health services.

According to the agency, amber alerts are issued when health and social care is impacted and there is “potential for the whole population to be at risk”.

The alert, in force from midday on Thursday until next Wednesday, said there would be “significant impacts across health and social care services” including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

Younger age groups could also be affected, the agency said, noting that there would be a “likely increase” in demand for health services.

It has warned that the vulnerable will be put at risk as it becomes difficult to keep homes at 18C (64F) with sub-zero temperatures outside. Temperatures in hospitals and care homes will fall below recommended levels, while transport is also likely to suffer.

The Met Office has already warned that sub-zero temperature and snow could see rural communities cut off this weekend.

A three-day yellow warning for snow has been issued for almost all of England and Wales and parts of Scotland this weekend as the forecaster said the weather could potentially prevent schools reopening and risk power cuts and delays to road, rail and air transport.

The warning is in place from noon on Saturday until 9am on Monday and covers all regions of England other than the South West, the majority of Wales and parts of southern Scotland.

About 5cm of snow is expected widely across the Midlands, Wales and northern England, with as much as 20-30cm over high ground in Wales and/or the Pennines, the forecaster added.

The country has already faced severe disruption at the start of the New Year, with a major incident declared over flooding in the North West on Wednesday and rain and wind bringing delays and cancellations to the transport network.

Dan Holley, deputy chief forecaster for the Met Office, said: “At this stage there is a fair amount of uncertainty over exactly which areas will see disruptive snow, with parts of Wales, northern England and the Midlands most likely to see some impacts.

“Here, we could see 5cm or more in quite a few areas, and perhaps as much as 20-30cm over high ground, including Wales and the Pennines. Coupled with strengthening winds, this could lead to drifting, making travelling conditions difficult over higher-level routes in particular.

“We’ve currently issued a yellow warning for snow, covering a large part of England, Wales and southern Scotland to cater for possible disruption over the weekend. But it’s quite likely this will be refined over the coming days as confidence in the forecast increases, so it’s worth keeping up to date with the latest warnings.”

More nannying!

I went outside this evening and survived!