An Amber Cold Health Alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency, indicating that a prolonged spell of very cold weather will likely have an impact on health.
The alert was issued late yesterday and will remain in place until at least midday on 5 December.
We are urging residents to take steps to stay safe and protect themselves against the falling temperatures, especially those who are considered vulnerable such as older people and people with long term health conditions.
Weather updates and more infofmation on what to expect can be found on the Met Office website.
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Heating your home to at least 18 degrees will help you stay safe and well during the cold snap.
If you can, heat the rooms you spend most time in, such as the living room in the daytime and the bedroom before going to sleep. Keep bedroom windows closed and use draught excluders around doors.
This advice is especially important for older people over 65, young children under 5 and people with an existing medical condition and/or limited mobility.
Find out more helpful tips on heating your home
Additional simple measures can be taken to reduce the impact of the adverse weather conditions such as:
- Ensuring there is enough food and medicine for a few days.
- Reducing draughts with draught excluders.
- Wearing several thin layers of clothing is better at trapping heat than one thick layer.
- Wearing well-fitting slippers with a good grip indoors.
- Eating well and staying hydrated with plenty of warm drinks.
- Trying not to sit still for more than an hour or so. If you find it difficult to move about, stretching your arms and legs can help to keep you warm.
Find out more tips to stay warm and well on the UK Health Security Agency's website
Stay safe on the roads and check out routes and journeys before travelling – if it’s not safe to travel then please make the right decision.
If you’re going on a journey make sure you put your safety first. Preparing adequately will protect yourself as well as all road users.
Read more about safe winter driving on The RAC website.
Westmorland and Furness Council Highways are prepared to respond to this cold stretch and frequently monitor weather conditions.
Our gritting team have been out since 4am gritting areas of our priority road network, where road temperatures reach near to or below zero degrees, to keep communities safe and moving.
Check out our snow and ice gritting map to find out exactly where we're covering.
Please take EXTRA CARE if you’re out and about first thing as grit requires the movement of traffic or people’s feet to get it working its best. For those in rural areas, salt bins are there for you to use on public roads and footpaths.
One table spoon is enough for a 1 metre by 1 metre area, so please use this resource in the best way you can to help out those most vulnerable your community!
For those struggling financially who may be worried about energy costs, the council has a dedicated webpage to cover financial help that could be available.
People who are homeless are particularly vulnerable in freezing temperatures. If you have nowhere to go or you are facing homelessness, it’s important you contact us as soon as possible for advice and support - we will do all we can to keep you safe and warm.
We have recently launched our Winter Ready Campaign which offers additional advice and support on how on how to prepare for the approaching winter months.
Our frontline services are ready to respond and keep our communities safe and moving this winter. Over the coming months, we'll be sharing the latest advice, help and support you may need over the colder months.
Please don’t forget to look out for vulnerable/elderly residents and neighbours who might struggle with the drop in temperature. Let's stay safe this winter!
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