Cold-health alerts issued as UK temperatures set to fall to -5C

The first cold-health alerts of the season have been issued for parts of England, as an Arctic air mass is forecast to bring widespread frost and overnight temperatures as low as -5C in some rural areas.

The UK Health Security Agency’s yellow alerts cover the West Midlands and north-west England. They are due to run from 09:00 GMT on Thursday until 12:00 GMT on Saturday. The agency says the cold spell is likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services, while posing a greater risk to life for vulnerable people.

Temperatures are expected to fall below freezing overnight in many towns and cities from midweek. Sleet and snow are possible in parts of northern Scotland, including Shetland and Orkney, where strong northerly winds may make conditions feel especially cold.

The coldest night is forecast for Thursday, with frost likely across much of the UK on Friday morning. Daytime highs are expected to reach around 6C or 7C in many inland areas. Milder air is forecast to spread in from the Atlantic by the weekend, making the cold spell brief for most.