How dangerous is the cold weather – isn’t our climate relatively mild?
Around 25,000 extra people die in England and Wales during an average winter. For each degree Celsius by which the winter is colder than average, there are a further excess 8,000 deaths. Cold weather is serious, but you can protect yourself by taking a few straight forward and relatively in-expensive steps. Staying warm during winter is really important. We’re all more likely to feel the chill and catch cold or flu in winter, but for certain groups of people cold weather can lead to more serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes or pneumonia. Keeping yourself warm can help you to stay healthy and well throughout the winter. How can you be sure that the warning will reach the people that it is aimed at? The BBC and ITV are working with the Department of Health and the Met Office to ensure that people are aware of when the Cold Weather Health Warning is triggered. The alert will be highlighted on radio, television and online news, signposting people to the helpline and campaign
