UK's winter freeze puts elderly at risk as temperatures hit record lows
A harsh cold-wave hits Britain with temperatures dropping to -7.8C causing health alerts across the country. Officials warn about serious health risks for older people and possible disruptions to medical services
The UK faces a severe cold-snap that puts older peoples lives at risk as temps drop to minus-7.8C in Scottish highlands. The UK Health and Security Agency issued amber-level warnings for north-eastern and mid-country regions (which will stay active till mid-week)
Health services expect big problems: hospitals might get too cold for patient care‚ staff cant reach work places due to ice and snow conditions; elderly people face the biggest risk. The UKHSA points out that younger folks might also have health issues during this cold-wave
- North East England
- North West regions
- Yorkshire area
- Midlands zone
- East England territory
South-eastern parts of Britain got yellow alerts meaning less-severe but still dangerous conditions. Katherine Crawford from Age Scotland says: “we need to watch out for older people who might have trouble getting food or medicine in this weather“
The Met Office warns about snow and ice across northern Scotland – with up to 20cm of snow possible on higher ground. They expect power cuts in some places; rural towns might get cut-off from main roads (which could make things worse for people who need help). Transport systems face big problems; and temps dont show signs of going up anytime soon
