The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is issuing multiple yellow Cold-Health Alerts (CHAs) due to an increased risk of adverse temperatures across seven regions of England. These function as advance warnings when severe weather is expected to affect the ‘well-being of the population’.
At the time of writing, the UKHSA confirmed that CHAs would come into force from 6pm this evening (February 17) and stay active for 72 hours, through to 6pm on Friday, February 20. The alerts will affect the North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and South West, while London and the South East remain unaffected.
Official UK Government guidance on CHAs states: “The alerting system provides an early warning when adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and well-being of the population. The Weather health alerting system is provided by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in partnership with the Met Office.
“It’s intended to provide early warning to the health and social care sector, the responder community, the voluntary and community sector and government departments when adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and well-being of the population.”
The CHA system typically operates from November 1 to March 31 annually, whilst the Heat-Health Alerts (HHAs) system normally runs between June 1 to September 30 each year. However, should a cold spell occur beyond this primary timeframe, an exceptional alert will be issued. Alerts can be sent directly via email to anyone who completes a registration form.
Today’s alerts come as the Met Office is presently predicting both substantial snow and rainfall across parts of England over the next few days. In certain regions, this may be accompanied by strong winds, increasing the risk of adverse impacts.
“10-20 mm of rain is expected quite widely, with a few places near the south coast seeing 20-30 mm and perhaps as much as 50 mm over Dartmoor. Strong east to northeasterly winds will accompany the rain and/or snow, which could exacerbate impacts in places. Large waves could affect some east-facing coasts, especially along the English Channel.”
Given this situation, householders are urged to verify whether their homes are vulnerable to flooding. If they are, it may be sensible to prepare a flood plan and emergency kit.
This might include vital documents, waterproof garments, drinking water and medications for emergencies. Thinking about what should happen to your pets and having important contact details at hand can be particularly beneficial in such circumstances. For instance, knowing your home insurance details before an incident can help you respond more promptly to potential damage.
The Met Office guidance has added: “People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
“Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
