An amber cold health alert, which is issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), means forecast weather is likely to have significant impacts across health and social care services.
The amber weather warning has been put in place from 12pm on Thursday 2 January until 12pm on Wednesday 8 January.
The cold weather could increase health risks to vulnerable people and potentially cause distribution to NHS services.
Hints and tips on keeping warm
You should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. Low indoor temperatures can have a serious impact on your health, especially if you have medical conditions or are older.
Simple changes can help to keep you and your home warm. These include:
- try to heat rooms you spend a lot of time in, such as the living room or bedroom, to at least 18°C
- try to reduce draughts; you can fit draft excluders around doors cheaply
- keep your bedroom windows closed at night
- wear several layers of thinner clothing; this could keep you warmer than one thicker layer
Further advice from the Met Office on keeping warm can be found here: Keeping your home warm this winter
Please note, there is also currently a yellow weather warning in place for snow and ice for parts of Hampshire from Saturday 4 January. We urge you to check the Met Office website for further information.