Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Killer cold fears as Arctic blast arrives
Health warning to at-risk groups
HEALTH officials issued a nationwide warning yesterday ahead of an Arctic blast that could last for three weeks.
Temperatures are set to plunge as low as -10C this week, as a band of ice and snow sweeps across the country.
Health chiefs are asking people to check on the elderly and vulnerable amid fears the big chill could prove fatal. And rail firms have warned passengers to expect disruption later in the week.
Forecasters say the freezing conditions could last into mid-december, with lower temperatures than Reykjavik, New York, Prague and Copenhagen.
Those particularly vulnerable to the cold include the elderly, young children and anyone with health issues. Thomas Waite, of PHE, said: “To stay well this winter, we all need to play a part. This is a really good time to check on those who may be at-risk.
“People with diseases such as heart and lung conditions can feel the illeffects of cold weather more than the rest of us.”
There were more than 34,000 “excess deaths” across England and Wales last winter.
The Met Office has issued a cold weather warning for the whole country from today to Saturday. There could be snow flurries in London today, while heavier falls are expected along the East coast later this week. Overnight frosts will become widespread and snow is expected to fall along the East coast from Wednesday. Temperatures in London on Thursday are expected to be 5C, dropping to 3C in Hull and 2C in Birmingham.
Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said: “Thursday is looking like it might be the coldest day and night of the week.
“We could potentially see temperatures as low as -8C, possibly -10C across parts of Scotland where there is lying snow. And even across England and Wales we could see -6C to -8C and some snow across hillier parts.”
Forecasters believe this could be the coldest December since the big freeze of 2010. Bookies have slashed the odds on a white Christmas and on this winter being the coldest on record.
Ladbrokes now make it odds-on that snow will fall somewhere over this festive season. A spokesman said: “The weather outside is frightful and the odds suggest it’s going to get colder and snowier by Christmas.”
However, long-range forecasts show a return to milder and wetter conditions in the run-up to Christmas.