Amber cold health alert extended for the South East as cold snap set to stay longer
The amber cold health alert has been extended with the current cold weather set to last longer.
The UK Health Security Agency, in partnership with the Met Office, initially expected the warning to come to an end on January 6, however it has now been extended to 10am on Friday, January 9. The warning is for the South East with Portsmouth and the surrounding area forecast to experience lows of -3C over the weekend.
The alert highlights that the weather is “likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services”. These impacts include:
- a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. We may also see impacts on younger age groups
- a likely increase in demand for health services
- temperatures inside places like hospitals, care homes, and clinics dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks
- challenges keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18°C leading to more risk to vulnerable people
- staffing issues due to external factors (such as travel delays)
- other sectors starting to observe impacts (such as transport and energy)
Hampshire County Council have released advice and guidance on how to keep yourself and loved ones warm during the cold snap, especially elderly relatives.
Councillor Liz Fairhurst, Hampshire County Council’s Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said: “While Hampshire is experiencing such cold conditions, it is important that we all do what we can to keep warm and stay safe.
“Some people in our communities are at particular risk from the ill effects of the cold weather so I would urge residents to look out for their relatives or neighbours who may be vulnerable or unable to get out due to the weather.”
Hampshire County Council have provided the below top tips to help keep warm:
- Try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in, such as the bedroom or living room, to at least 18°C (65°F), day and night - and keep bedroom windows closed. You may prefer your main living room to be slightly warmer.
- Wear several layers of thinner clothing rather than one thick layer – this will help keep you warmer.
- Draw curtains at dusk and block out draughts.
- Try not to sit still for too long, ideally not more than an hour or so. Anyone who has trouble getting up and moving around can also stretch their arms and legs to help them stay warm.
- If you need to go out, remember to wrap up warm, and wear shoes with good grips to avoid slipping on icy surfaces.
- If you’re worried about the cost of heating your home, seek financial support.