Britons welcoming the new year will face a significant and potentially dangerous cold snap, with health officials issuing a stark warning for the first week of 2026. Forecasters predict a sharp downturn in conditions following a chilly but settled end to 2025.
Forecast Turns Frosty for New Year's Day
Meteorologists have warned that the final days of 2025 will be unremarkable, with temperatures hovering around 7-8°C. However, a marked change is expected as 2026 arrives. Sky News meteorologist Dr Christopher England stated the coming days will be predominantly cold and cloudy, with clearer spells bringing a risk of overnight frost and fog.
Dr England added that while the south will be breezy, northern areas should prepare for some hard frosts. From New Year's Day onwards, the north is expected to bear the brunt of the chillier conditions.
Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud confirmed the shift, saying: "We're losing this sort of settled but chilly conditions, and bringing in something a little bit more showery with more wintry hazards in the forecast, particularly for the north of the country."
Amber Health Alert Activated for Northern England
In response to the forecast, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has taken serious action. It has issued an amber cold health alert for the North East and North West of England, where temperatures are predicted to fall to between 3°C and 5°C.
This alert is active from 8pm on Sunday 28 December 2025 until 12pm on Monday 5 January 2026. The agency warns this weather is likely to cause significant impacts across the health and social care sector.
The potential consequences highlighted by the UKHSA are severe and include:
- A projected rise in deaths among individuals aged 65 and over and those with pre-existing health conditions.
- Possible impacts on younger age groups.
- An expected increase in demand for NHS and care services.
- Indoor temperatures in hospitals and care homes falling below recommended levels for health.
- Challenges in maintaining the advised 18°C in homes, raising risks for vulnerable people.
The alert also warns of potential staffing issues due to travel disruptions and impacts on other sectors like transport and energy.
Nationwide Warning for Vulnerable People
A less severe, but still significant, yellow cold health alert covers a wider area. This includes the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and London. In these regions, temperatures are forecast to drop to around 4-6°C from New Year's Day.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, urged the public to take the forecast seriously. "As the colder weather sets in it is vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable," he said.
"The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions."
The cold spell follows severe winter storms in the United States, which caused travel chaos and led to a state of emergency being declared in New York over the busy holiday weekend.
