A cold weather warning has been issued for the whole of England by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The Met Office is warning that each of the nine regions of England will experience cold weather from midnight tonight, Tuesday, January 4, to midday on Thursday, January 6.

Met Office chief meteorologist, Andy Page, said:

A cold northerly flow will be bringing a drop in temperature to most of the UK for the next few days, particularly when compared with the recent mild weather. Wednesday night will see a sharp frost across most of the UK, with temperatures dropping below freezing across much of the country.”

A Status Yellow snow and ice warning is also in place for parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Midlands on Friday, January 7.

UKHSA is encouraging people to stay warm and look out for those most at risk from the effects of cold weather.

Agostinho Sousa, a consultant in Public Health Medicine at UKHSA, said:

Cold weather can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with heart and lung problems, as it increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections.

“It’s important to check on those who are more vulnerable to cold weather, including older neighbours or relatives – especially those living alone or those who have serious illness.

“Remind them to heat their home to at least 18° and to keep up to date with the forecast.”