The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber Cold-Health Alert for the North West and North East of England from 20:00 on Sunday 28 December 2025 to 12:00 on Monday 5 January 2026. All other English regions are under a yellow alert for the same period. The notice, updated on 28 December, signals a sustained spell of cold that services should plan for across the holiday period.
UKHSA warns the forecast temperatures are likely to increase health risks, including heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly among people aged 65 and over, those with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, and people sleeping rough. UKHSA’s Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection, Dr Agostinho Sousa, has urged people to check on vulnerable neighbours, friends and family.
Under the joint Weather-Health Alerting system operated by UKHSA and the Met Office, amber denotes an enhanced response: impacts are likely across the health and social care system, with potential for wider population risk, and other sectors may begin to experience effects that require coordination.
For providers, the Cold-Health Alert action card sets practical expectations. Managers should ensure business continuity plans account for adverse cold, refresh registers of people most at risk, verify safe and adequate heating in care settings, and coordinate with NHS England, local authorities, Local Health Resilience Partnerships and Local Resilience Forums. At amber, services should escalate capacity planning and proactive outreach to those at highest risk.
Weather-Health Alerts are separate from the Met Office’s National Severe Weather Warning Service. CHAs focus on anticipated health impacts in England, guiding the NHS and councils; NSWWS issues UK‑wide warnings for specific hazards (such as snow and ice), sometimes at short notice, and may run alongside CHAs.
The alert window includes the New Year period when staffing and discharge pathways can be constrained. Providers should use the Adverse Weather and Health Plan as the framework for integrated winter planning across health and local government, aligning surge and discharge plans, domiciliary care scheduling and community outreach.
For the public and carers, UKHSA guidance advises heating rooms used most to at least 18°C, planning ahead for medicines and food if severe weather is forecast, and keeping in regular contact with older or medically vulnerable people. For health concerns use NHS 111 or contact a GP; in an emergency call 999.
Professionals can register to receive Weather‑Health Alerts by email. CHAs operate during the core season from 1 November to 31 March, with out‑of‑season alerts possible if cold is expected to impact health.