‘Check in on friends, family and neighbours.’ UKHSA’s advice lands as a yellow Cold‑Health Alert is issued for every region of England except the South East and London, running from 18:00 on Tuesday 17 February to 18:00 on Friday 20 February 2026. For the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, it signals another sharp snap and a busy spell for health and care teams.

Under the Weather Health Alerting system run by UKHSA and the Met Office, alerts flag health risks from prolonged cold. Amber notices earlier this winter indicated sector‑wide impacts; this week’s yellow alert keeps services on watch and asks the public to act with care.

UKHSA says people aged 65 and over, those with serious heart or lung conditions and anyone sleeping rough face the greatest risk as temperatures dip. The agency is again pointing residents to official guidance on GOV.UK for staying safe and helping others during cold weather.

‘Prolonged exposure to low temperatures can have a severe impact on people’s health,’ said Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, who urged people to ‘check in on friends, family and neighbours’ and make sure they can stay warm.

The Met Office may issue National Severe Weather Warnings for snow and ice at short notice. While the health alerts focus on vulnerable groups in England, the warning service covers broader hazards UK‑wide; readers planning travel or care visits should check the latest updates.

Earlier this month, on Wednesday 11 February, UKHSA put the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and East Midlands under a yellow alert from 06:00 on Friday 13 February until 08:00 on Monday 16 February; other regions were unaffected.

On Thursday 23 January, a yellow alert was issued for the North West and North East, in place from 18:00 on Monday 26 January until 18:00 on Friday 30 January.

Through early January the alert level frequently sat at amber across England. It was in force from 20:00 on Wednesday 31 December to 10:00 on Tuesday 6 January, then extended on Friday 2 January to 10:00 on Friday 9 January, on Tuesday 6 January to 12:00 on Sunday 11 January, and on Thursday 8 January to 12:00 on Monday 12 January.

UKHSA said amber conditions were likely to be felt across health and social care, with potential risk to the whole population and particular concern for older people and those with underlying conditions. People sleeping rough also faced increased danger.

Before that peak, on Sunday 28 December, an amber alert covered the North West and North East from 20:00 on 28 December to midday on Monday 5 January, with all other regions under a yellow alert.

Dr Paul Coleman, a Consultant in Health Protection at UKHSA, warned that very cold weather can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, adding that it is important to look out for those most vulnerable.