What Is a Cold-Health Alert? Explained
A cold-health alert is a warning issued in England when cold weather is expected to damage people's health. It is issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working with the Met Office, and it is aimed first at the health and social care services that need to prepare for extra demand, although the advice that comes with it applies to everyone. The first alert of the winter of 2026/27 was issued on Tuesday 10 November 2026: a yellow alert for the North West and the West Midlands, running from 9am on Thursday 12 November until 12pm on Saturday 14 November.
A yellow alert does not mean most people are in danger. It means the cold is unlikely to affect most people, but could affect those who are particularly vulnerable — above all people aged 65 and over, people with pre-existing health conditions, and people sleeping rough.
What has been issued this week?
UKHSA announced the alert on 10 November 2026. It covers the North West and West Midlands regions only; all other regions of England are currently unaffected. Temperatures in the affected areas are forecast to fall to around minus 2C on Thursday and Friday nights, including in Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent, with Solihull and Hereford expected to fall to minus 1C overnight.
Dr Anya Gopfert, Consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, said: "This is the first cold-health alert of the winter, but we can expect more as we move further into the season. Cold weather can have a serious impact on the health of some people, including those aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions, so it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours who are most vulnerable."
Low temperatures can increase the use of health care services by vulnerable people. That is why the alert is issued to health and social care professionals as well as to the public: it gives hospitals, GPs, care homes and councils time to prepare.
What do the alert colours mean?
Cold-health alerts use four colours, from green to red. The colour reflects the combination of how serious the health impact could be and how likely it is to happen, assessed by UKHSA together with the Met Office.
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Green | Preparedness. No alert is issued; conditions are likely to have minimal impact on health. |
| Yellow | Response. Cold that is unlikely to affect most people, but could affect those who are particularly vulnerable. |
| Amber | Enhanced response. Impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, with potential for the whole population to be at risk; a coordinated response is required. |
| Red | Emergency response. Significant risk to life for even the healthy population. |
A yellow alert can also be issued when confidence in the forecast is low but the worst-case outcome could be more serious. The current alert is yellow, the lowest level at which an alert is issued.
Who is most at risk in cold weather?
According to UKHSA, the groups at greatest risk are people aged 65 years and over, people with pre-existing health conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and some other vulnerable groups, such as people sleeping rough. The NHS warns that other people are also more likely to become unwell in the cold, including children aged five and under, pregnant women, people who are housebound or have low mobility, people experiencing homelessness, people living in homes that are harder to keep warm, and people unable to afford fuel and heating costs.
Cold weather can also increase the risk of having a heart attack, a stroke and respiratory illnesses such as flu. That is why the advice during an alert is not only about staying warm yourself, but about checking on people around you who may struggle to keep warm or to ask for help.
How is a cold-health alert different from a Met Office weather warning?
The two systems do different jobs. Cold-health alerts are part of the Weather-Health Alerting system run by UKHSA with the Met Office, and they focus specifically on the health impacts of temperature. They underpin the Adverse Weather and Health Plan, and they are issued for the nine regions of England.
The Met Office's National Severe Weather Warning Service, by contrast, provides broader warnings about severe weather risks across the UK, such as snow, ice, rain, wind and fog. The Met Office does not issue cold-temperature warnings of its own under that service. Instead, UKHSA considers cold temperatures explicitly through its cold-health alerts, assessing them alongside health data in a joint risk assessment with the Met Office. So a yellow cold-health alert can be in force even when there is no Met Office snow or ice warning — and vice versa.
What should you do during a yellow alert?
UKHSA's advice is practical. Try to heat the rooms you spend the most time in, such as the living room and bedroom, to at least 18C. Wear several layers of thinner clothing, which can keep you warmer than one thicker layer. Fit draught excluders around doors, keep bedroom windows closed at night, and get the flu vaccine if you are eligible.
Try not to sit still for more than an hour or so when indoors, and if you find it difficult to move about, stretch your arms and legs to help keep warm. Treat minor winter ailments such as colds or sore throats promptly. Most importantly, keep in touch with older family, friends and neighbours and see whether they need practical help, including stocking up on food. As Dr Gopfert put it: "Keeping homes heated where possible and dressing warmly can help people stay safe and well during colder weather."
Frequently asked questions
Does a yellow cold-health alert mean I am in danger? For most people, no. A yellow alert means the cold is unlikely to affect most people, but people who are vulnerable — older people and those with long-term health conditions — may struggle to cope. If you are in one of those groups, take the precautions above and ask for help if you need it.
How long does the cold-health season last? Cold-health alerts operate from 1 November to 30 March each year. Heat-health alerts, the summer equivalent, run from 1 June to 30 September. An alert can still be issued outside those dates if the health impact is expected to be significant.
Does a yellow alert mean snow is coming? Not necessarily. A cold-health alert is about the health effects of low temperatures, not about snow. Snow and ice are covered by separate Met Office severe weather warnings, so check those as well if you are travelling.
Will there be more alerts this winter? Almost certainly. UKHSA says more alerts can be expected as the season goes on, and this week's yellow alert is only the first of the 2026/27 winter.
