Cold health alert updated for London

The yellow cold health alert is in effect from 12PM on 17/11/2025 until 8AM on 22/11/2025 across London. The yellow alert has a matrix score of 9. This means:

There is potential for significant impacts across health and social care services, including:

• a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. We may also see impacts on younger age groups
• a likely increase in demand for health services
• impacts on the workforce affecting delivery of services
• challenges keeping indoor temperatures at the recommended 18°C leading to more risk to vulnerable people

You can see all the weather health alerts currently in place across England on the UKHSA data dashboard.

How to take action if you have a duty to respond

Please review the Weather Health Alert System user guidance to explain how you can use the information contained within the alerts to respond to the forecast weather.

We provide guidance on how to take action for a range of professional groups with a duty to respond, with action cards available for commissioners, health and social care providers, and the voluntary and community sector. Summary action cards are also available below:

• commissioners
• voluntary and community sector
• care homes and other residential settings
• services delivering care to people in their homes
• hospitals and other healthcare settings

For an overview of the weather alerts in place across England, please check the UKHSA data dashboard.

The Met Office may issue National Severe Weather Warnings (for example, snow and ice) with short notice, so you can take appropriate action. Check the Met Office Website to see the National Severe Weather Warnings currently in place.

You can also find information of the latest weather forecast on the Met Office website.

How to protect yourself if you are vulnerable

While exposure to cold weather can affect anyone, some people are particularly at risk. We have published guidance on staying safe during cold weather.

Planning for adverse weather

All organisations should read the Adverse Weather and Health Plan. This is important if you provide health and social care. The plan explains what you should do before and while a cold health alert is in place.

To support local planning, please check the guidance on local resilience forums

About cold health alerts

Chief executives of the following organisations in England receive cold health alerts:

• health trust providers of NHS commissioned care
• local authorities
• social care organisations

The Cold-Health Alert Service in England runs from 1 November to 31 March each year, in partnership with the Met Office. This is the period when low temperatures are likely to occur.

If we observe low temperatures outside of this period, we will issue an extraordinary cold health alert. If this happens, stakeholders should take the usual public health actions.

You can share this email with your organisation or sign up to receive alerts using our registration form. We have a separate form if you would like to update your registration details.

Please let us know if you have a question or have a problem with your subscription. You can also unsubscribe from this service.

UKHSA and the Met Office use the Risk Matrix to assign a risk score for each alert. Users can refer the alert’s risk score to the matrix to understand the severity of the alert and likelihood of its impact.

 

	Very low impacts	Low impacts	Medium impacts	High impacts
High likelihood	4 (green)	8 (yellow)	13 (amber)	16 (red)
Medium likelihood	3 (green)	7 (yellow)	12 (amber)	15 (amber)
Low likelihood	2 (green)	6 (green)	10 (yellow)	14 (amber)
Very low likelihood	1 (green)	5 (green)	9 (yellow)	11 (yellow)

 

Updates to cold health alerts

UKHSA and the Met Office make daily risk assessments. We will issue a new alert should the alert level change.

Further Advice and guidance

Flood Alerts and Warnings