Cold weather health alert issued - as Met Office warns of snow and ice

A four-day health alert for cold weather has begun in England - as the Met Office warned of snow and ice in some areas.

The alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covers central and northern areas and runs until 8am on Monday.

It warns vulnerable people could be at greater risk and possible "minor impacts" on health services due to increased demand.

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The Met Office said an Arctic maritime air mass has brought in the colder conditions and issued a yellow warning for snow and ice until noon on Friday.

It covers virtually the whole of Scotland and most of northern England, with the forecaster saying some areas on higher ground could wake up to a layer of snow.

"Locations of above 200 metres in Scotland and northern England may see 2-5cm of snow, but those locations above 300 metres may see double those amounts, up to 10cm," said Met Office chief forecaster Jason Kelly.

There will be some sunny spells in southern areas on Friday, but rain is expected across the Midlands and Wales.

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Saturday is looking colder with a widespread frost in the morning, when temperatures will struggle to get above zero, but it will be much brighter and drier than the dreary weather of recent weeks.

It's expected to be the first entirely dry day of the year for some, with much of the UK blessed with sunny skies and daytime highs of about 4-6C (39-43F).

However, the respite is only expected to be brief.

The Met Office said a weather front is expected to sweep in from the west on Sunday and bring more rain, strong winds and snow in northern areas.

The start to 2026 has brought a parade of gloomy, wet weather due to a "blocking pattern" and 26 weather stations set new monthly records for January, according to the Met Office.

Northern Ireland also endured its wettest January in 149 years.

(c) Sky News 2026: Cold weather health alert issued - as Met Office warns of snow and ice