Level 2 cold weather alert issued for parts of England

NHS England issued a Level 2 cold weather alert, headed "alert and readiness", at 11.17am on Wednesday 16 February 2022. The alert covers a 60% probability of severe cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow between midnight on Friday 18 February and 9am on Saturday 19 February in parts of England¹.

The announcement stated that the weather "could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services"¹. NHS England directed readers to the Met Office website for further details of the alert, and to its own winter health pages¹. The alert notice did not name the specific regions or counties covered; it refers only to "parts of England", and any regional breakdown has not been reported in the notice¹.

The alert was lifted on the morning of Saturday 19 February. A subsequent NHS England notice, headed "winter preparedness and action" and issued at 8.51am that day, stated that temperatures and weather conditions were not expected to exceed Cold Weather Alert threshold criteria in any region from 9am on 19 February 2022 until further notice². That notice was published on 19 February and last updated on 21 February 2022².

Why it matters for households

The Level 2 alert applied to parts of England only, and for a window of just over a day, from midnight on Friday 18 February to 9am on Saturday 19 February 2022¹. NHS England's stated concern was twofold: increased health risks to vulnerable patients, and disruption to the delivery of services¹. The notice did not set out specific advice for households beyond pointing to the Met Office for alert details and to NHS winter health guidance¹. The background to the alert levels themselves is set out in the guide to cold-health alerts and what the UKHSA alert levels mean, and the health risks and who is most at risk are covered in staying well in cold weather. Preparing a home for ice and low temperatures is covered in getting your home ready for cold weather and ice, within the wider storms and snow section.

What happens next

The Level 2 alert expired at 9am on Saturday 19 February 2022, when the Level 1 notice took effect, stating that conditions were not expected to exceed threshold criteria in any region until further notice². NHS England said further details of each alert were available on the Met Office website¹; households can find out how to receive those warnings in the guide to signing up for Met Office weather alerts. Support from local authorities in severe weather, including bins, care and other services, is covered in council help in severe weather, and general warning sources in the staying informed section.