Met Office issues five-day amber ‘severe’ cold weather alert for Northamptonshire

An amber alert for “severe” cold weather has been issued by the Met Office for a large section of England, including Northamptonshire.

The current warning is in place from today (Monday, January 16) until 9am on Friday (January 20). There was previously a yellow warning in place for cold weather during the same time period, but that was escalated early this morning.

The amber warning is the second highest in severity that can be issued. The only higher warning is classified as a national emergency.

A statement on the Met Office website says: “There is a 90 percent probability of severe cold weather and icy conditions between 09am on Monday January 16 and 9am on Friday January 20 in parts of England.

“This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.

“These conditions persisting through the week across most areas, bringing widespread frost and with daytime temperatures struggling to recover above freezing.”

The Met Office advises maintaining indoor temperatures to at least 18°C, “particularly if you are not mobile, have a long-term illness or are 65 or over”. It also warns to “avoid exposing yourself to cold or icy outdoor conditions if you are at a higher risk of cold-related illness or falls”.

According to NN Weather, temperatures could fall to -5C in towns and -7C in rural areas tonight.

In a cold spell before Christmas, temperatures in the county fell to as low as -12C.