URGENT warnings are in place today across the UK over plunging temperatures that could pose a ‘danger to life’.
Amber alerts have been launched for about half of the country for most of next week which will likely see the number of deaths rise.
AlamyFreezing temperatures are expected to hit much of the UK this week[/caption]
ReutersParts of the country continue to fight flooding[/caption]
Met OfficeAmber alerts have been issued for about half of England, with yellow for the rest[/caption]
Temperatures dropped into negatives in the early hours Sunday morning
The warning, released by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency, covers much of west and central England.
It will see temperatures drop to -6C in one part of the country as widespread flooding and downpours continue.
It is set to last for five days, between midday on January 7 and midday on January 12.
The four regions affected are the North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, and the South West.
Those areas are likely to have an “observed increase in mortality across the population”, particularly in those aged above 65 and with underlying health conditions.
Effects will also be felt as heating systems struggle to keep indoor areas at normal levels.
Staffing issues will also occur, the warnings say, as travel delays and energy issues affect workers.
The Met Office said that there was also a chance the temperatures would drop to -6C in rural areas along the Welsh border in Shropshire and north Herefordshire tonight.
It comes as the Met Office said the mercury dipped to a chilly -4.3C in Shap, Cumbria yesterday.
Meanwhile, yellow alerts have been issued for the remaining areas in England.
That includes the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber, East of England, London and South East areas.
A yellow alert means there is the potential for significant impacts to be observed.
English regions are still trying to recover from flooding after Storm Henk claimed a second victim on Tuesday.
There are currently 167 flood warnings where flooding is expected and 171 flood alerts where flooding is possible across the country, according to the Met Office’s website
Those areas are particularly along the Rivers Trent, Severn, and Thames and will continue for the next four days.
“Properties will flood and there will be travel disruption,” the Met says.
“River flooding impacts are also possible across parts of Yorkshire and Humber today, and possible but not expected tomorrow, as river levels remain high after the prolonged and recent wet weather.”
A yellow ice warning is in place for parts of Surrey, Kent and Sussex from 4am tomorrow.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “flooding has been having a devastating impact on communities up and down the country” as he visited affected residents in Oxford.
“I was in the East Midlands last week on Thursday and I’m in Oxfordshire here today talking to some of those that have been affected, but also saying thank you to our first responders who were doing a fantastic job over the past week.
“We have over 1,000 Environment Agency personnel on the ground in local communities helping, over 200 pumps have been deployed.”
Chief Met Office forecaster Jason Kelly said: “The transition to lower temperatures will be noticeable over the weekend.
“It will become rather cold next week with lower-than-average temperatures across much of the UK, accentuated by brisk easterly winds in the south.
“As the prevailing weather conditions will be characterised by high pressure, a good deal of settled weather is likely.
“Clearer skies and a marked reduction in precipitation are expected, although any showers that do occur are likely to be wintry in nature.
“A combination of overnight freezing temperatures, saturated ground and calm winds mean increasing risks of frost, fog and icy conditions.”
AlamyWalkers in Glasgow on Sunday brave the frost temperatures[/caption]
RexThe River Thames has burst its banks and flooded the playing fields at the famous public school Eton College[/caption]
RexDrivers battling floodwaters in Eton Berkshire[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
