Brits are being urged to prepare for a chilly start to the new year as multiple cold weather alerts have been issued.
An amber health warning is in place in the North East and North West from 8pm on Sunday to 12pm on 5 January 2026. Temperatures in these regions are expected to fall to around 3 to 5C in the day, but could be closer to -3C overnight, and -7C in parts of Scotland.
It comes as “wintry showers” are forecast across the north of England from New Year’s Day onwards, bringing a blustery and cold start to 2026.
Met Office’s Dan Stroud said: “We’re losing this sort of settled but chilly conditions, and bringing in something a little bit more showery with more wintry hazards in the forecast, particularly for the north of the country.”
The forecaster said the final days of 2025 will not be “particularly fantastic”, with temperatures of 7 to 8C, but things will take a turn as 2026 arrives.
There are currently no Met Office weather warnings in place. The cold health alerts, issued by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA), mean the weather is “likely” to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including a “rise in deaths” among those with health conditions or aged 65 or over.
The UKHSA said the UK may also see “impacts on younger people” and said there will likely be an “increase in demand for health services” across the regions.
Other impacts include “temperatures inside places like hospitals and care homes dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks” and “challenges keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18C leading to more risk to vulnerable people”, the UKHSA said.
It also warned of staffing issues due to external factors such as travel delays and said other sectors, such as transport and energy, could start to see the impacts.
The agency also issued a yellow cold health alert for the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London.
Temperatures are expected to fall to around 4 to 6C from New Year’s Day in areas where the yellow health alert is in place.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “As the colder weather sets in it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
“The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
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