There is the potential for significant impact across health and social care services over the next week, according to a new cold weather warning.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a cold health alert for the North West at yellow level which will be in place from 8am on Monday (17 November) until 8am on Friday (21 November).
It states that there is the potential for a rise in deaths among those aged 65 and over, or with underlying health conditions, as temperatures fall. That could be particularly disruptive with the NHS already warning of disruption due to the resident doctors strike which started on Friday (15 November).
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There will be an increased demand for remote healthcare services, impacts on any delivery services and a challenge to keep indoor temperatures to the recommended 18C.
Health alerts are also in place for the North East, Yorkshire, West Midlands and East Midlands.
The Met Office said that high pressure is settling the weather across the UK, bringing much colder weather than the mild temperatures that came with Storm Claudia.
Dan Holley, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “As Storm Claudia retreats to the south, high pressure to the northwest will drive a cold northerly flow from the Arctic across the UK. This will bring much colder conditions than of late and, whilst generally drier than recent days, there will also be a risk of wintry hazards, such as snow and ice.
“There will be widespread frosts across the UK, with temperatures dipping as low as -7°C in places next week, and daytime temperatures staying in single figures across the country. Couple this with a brisk northerly wind, and there will be a marked wind chill. This will be a notable change in our weather after a prolonged spell of above-average temperatures. People should keep an eye on the forecast in their area as it is possible warnings may be issued for snow and ice at times.”
All of this means a much drier but also colder week ahead for Preston with temperatures dropping to -3C overnight on Wednesday and Thursday (19-20 November).
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