Met Office Cold Weather Alert
 
Current alert level: RED
 
Issued at: Friday 28 November 2008 at 12:36
 
The Department of Health has worked with the Met Office to develop a Cold Weather Health Warning scheme for the North West of England for this winter.
 
The scheme is initially a pilot running from 3 November 2008 until 31 March 2009. It supports other Government winter campaigns by alerting those most vulnerable to the effects of cold weather in advance of a cold spell occurring.
 
We are all more likely to feel the chill and catch cold or flu in winter, but for certain groups of people, cold weather can lead to more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes or pneumonia. Those most at risk of the effects of the cold include older people, families with young children and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
 
Cold weather is serious, but you can protect yourself by taking a few straight-forward and relatively inexpensive steps which include:
 
■wrapping up well when going outdoors
■maintaining the right temperature in your home (optimum temperature is 18-21°C)
■getting financial help for heating through available grants
■having regular warm drinks and hot meals
■having a 'flu jab
 
A range of important information can be found at the Keep Warm Keep Well website.
A telephone helpline 0800 408 1250 provided by the Department of Health is also available.
 
 
Guide to alert levels
Threshold Values
 
The threshold values have been developed to trigger an alert when cold conditions are likely to significantly impact people's health. They take into account daytime maximum and night time minimum temperature along with atmospheric pressure. The information is weighted to take into account the varied landscape of the region.
 
Level 1 - Green
 
This is the baseline level and is aimed at encouraging awareness among health professionals and the general public about the potential impacts that cold weather can have on people's health.
 
Level 2 - Amber
 
An amber alert is triggered when there is a high possibility of a particularly cold spell occurring in the next few days. This is important as there are over 25,000 excess deaths each winter in this country, many of which are preventable. Action taken at this stage can greatly benefit vulnerable groups as the cold weather arrives.
 
Level 3 - Red
 
A red alert is triggered when the current weather conditions are a significant risk to people's health. This is important as there are over 25,000 excess deaths each winter in this country, many of which are preventable. Actions taken during the period of cold weather can greatly benefit vulnerable groups and help reduce the impacts of cold weather on people's health and wellbeing.
 
Level 4 - Emergency Red
 
An emergency red alert is triggered during prolonged and/or extreme cold weather conditions. There is potential for this period of cold weather to have wide-ranging impacts across vulnerable groups and action is important to help reduce these and help keep people alive and well.