Temperatures have dropped as cold Arctic air spreads across Britain, with much of the country issuing deep cold weather health alerts ahead of snowfall forecast over the weekend.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snowfall and ice Cold conditions are forecast to continue for three days across much of England and Wales and parts of Scotland into Monday.

Separate warnings are in place for snow on Thursday and Friday after snowfall across much of the UK Strong winds and heavy rain caused havoc, causing widespread flooding in the north-west of England.

Many flood warnings and alerts remain in place A major clean-up operation is underway in north-west England after hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes.

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The cold conditions ended a run of unseasonably mild weather over the festive period, which saw maximum temperatures between 11C and 13C on Christmas Day.

Temperatures are expected to be around 5C below average in early January, with the wind chill making it feel even colder.

Amber winter health alerts cover the whole of England but do not apply to the rest of the UK.

The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) issues alerts when extreme temperatures are likely to have an impact on people’s well-being, particularly those who are elderly or have underlying health problems. Alerts provide early warning to healthcare providers.

A yellow warning for snow is in place for north-west England, western Scotland and Northern Ireland from 17:00 GMT on Thursday until Friday morning as temperatures drop overnight.

The Met Office has also warned of snow in north-east Scotland, including the Orkney and Shetland Islands, until Friday.

Conditions will remain cool over the weekend.

• Saturday from noon to midnight, Yellow warning for snow and ice covers all of England and most of Wales apart from the south-west
• A separate yellow warning for snowfall covers Scotland from midnight Sunday until 12:00 GMT on Monday
• Saturday is likely to be the coldest day as maximum temperatures will hover around -1C to 2C in most areas
• Although we are now in a much colder period with winter rain and for some the possibility of heavy snow over the weekend, this is not unusual for winter in the UK.

Caroline Abrahams, director of Age UK, said the cold weather would bring the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments into “sharp relief”, and said people had already contacted the charity, “concerned about what to do.” “.

He urged older people to “make every effort to stay warm”, including the risk of spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams said energy companies had a “responsibility to help” those struggling and support could also come from local councils.

The Prime Minister had said earlier It was important to protect pensioners who most needed the allowance, but many did not need it because they were “relatively wealthy”. The cuts aim to save £1.5 billion a year.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said on Thursday that no new postcodes had been introduced for cold weather payments.

A payment of £25 is made to eligible households when the average temperature in an area has been recorded or is forecast to be at or below 0C for seven consecutive days.

Many Britons celebrated their New Year with heavy rain and widespread flooding, including in Greater Manchester Where a major event was announced on New Year’s Day,

Emergency services were halted by the major incident Thursday afternoon, and about 1,000 people were evacuated over the past 36 hours. Flood warnings remain in place and evacuation centers have opened.

In Cheshire, the banks of the Bridgewater Canal collapsed and water gushed into surrounding fields at Little Bollington, causing road closures and properties being evacuated.

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