Amber weather alert issued for Merseyside as temperatures drop below freezing

A five-day cold weather alert has been issued for Merseyside as temperatures drop below freezing. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber cold weather health alert for the north west as icy conditions continue.

Liverpool was hit by snow on Monday evening into Tuesday, November 19 as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning. A new weather warning for ice has today (Wednesday) been issued by the weather agency.

It said: "Icy stretches will lead to some difficult travelling conditions. Icy stretches are expected to form on untreated surfaces during Wednesday evening and overnight into Thursday as temperatures drop below freezing. A few sleet or snow showers are also likely at times, particularly close to coasts."

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An amber cold weather alert came into force for the north west at 10am on Monday, November 18 and remains in place until 6pm on Saturday, November 23. The current forecast for Liverpool shows temperatures could reach lows of -1°C on Wednesday and -2°C on Thursday, November 21.

The UK Health Security Agency said the forecasted weather is likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services, including:

• a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. We may also see impacts on younger age groups

• a likely increase in demand for health services

• temperatures inside places like hospitals, care homes, and clinics dropping below the levels recommended for assessing health risks

• challenges keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18°C leading to more risk to vulnerable people

• staffing issues due to external factors (such as travel delays)

• other sectors starting to observe impacts (such as transport and energy)