Age charities on alert as big freeze sets in for weekend

The Met Office has raised fears for the elderly and ill by issuing a serious England-wide weather alert as the nation shivers in freezing conditions.

The forecaster issued its first country-wide Level 3 Cold Weather Alert of the winter – the second most serious.

A snow-covered farm lane on Exmoor

The alerts are tied in to the Government’s Cold Weather Plan and are relayed to organisations such as Age UK, which help the elderly through winter. With temperatures this week as low as minus 6.2C in Pershore, Worcestershire, minus 6.1C in South Farnborough, Hampshire, and minus 5.7C in Hurn, Dorset, the Level 3 Alert is expected to remain in force until the weekend, when the country is braced for snow.

The Met Office said: “This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.”

The only higher alert is Level 4, which sees normally healthy people at risk from the cold.

Across Europe, popular travel destinations are even worse off, with bleak temperatures such as minus 14C in Berlin, minus 17C in Prague, minus 8C in Paris, minus 13C in Stockholm and minus 20C in Warsaw. In eastern Europe, 83 people have died from the cold so far this week after temperatures sank to minus 32C.

Britain’s deep freeze has seen daytime temperatures plummet four or five degrees lower than average for February – traditionally the coldest month of the year.

Forecasters said tomorrow would see a cold front sweep south and east across the UK from the west, resulting in snow where slightly milder air meets cold air, although this could fall as rain the South West. Respite is not expected until Monday.