Nottingham has been on the receiving end of a level 3 weather warning this week. The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) handed the region the serious sounding alert on Tuesday, December 6, saying the warning follows a 90% probability of severe conditions between Wednesday, December 7 and Monday, December 12.
The alert covers the county of Nottinghamshire as well as other parts of England, including neighbouring counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. However, exactly what is a level 3 weather warning? Should we be worried and what do the other levels of alerts mean? Here's what you need to know.
Weather warnings come in both colours - yellow, amber, red - and numbered levels. They are designed to alert the public to extremes in weather patterns. The Met Office says: "Our warnings are designed to let people, businesses, emergency responders and governments know what weather is in store and what the impacts of that weather may be." As the department operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it can monitor and react to changes at any time of the day or night.
READ MORE: Second weather warning for Nottinghamshire as temperatures to plummet
Colour-coded warnings indicate the severity of the danger -Yellow, amber and then red at the highest level of impact. Warnings issued by the Met Office include alerts for wind, ice, snow etc as well as temperature warnings such as extreme heat or cold.
At the beginning of the week, the Met Office, in association with UK Health Security Agency, the government department responsible for protecting the community from a range of health threats, issued an alert for cold weather at level 3. It said: "The Met Office and UKHSA are warning that all regions of England will experience severe cold weather starting on the evening of Wednesday 7 December."
The numbered system has four levels based on cold weather criteria. They range from level one to four.
The cold weather alert levels are:
Level 1 (Green) – Winter preparedness and action
This is the minimum state of vigilance, according to the Met Office. During this time social and healthcare services will ensure that there is ongoing awareness and preparedness.
Level 2 (Yellow) – Alert and readiness
This is triggered when the risk is 60 percent or above for any of the thresholds to be breached. This is an important stage for social and healthcare services which will be working to ensure readiness and swift action to reduce harm from a potential period of cold weather.
Level 3 (Amber) – Severe weather action
This is the level the organisations have set for our region this week. It is triggered by the Met Office when we are experiencing weather that breaches any of the thresholds. This stage requires social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups.
Level 4 (Red) – National Emergency
Level four is the highest level and reached when a period of cold weather is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system. This warning would be issued on advice from, or in collaboration with, the Government. At this level, the fit and healthy could be at risk and not just those in high-risk groups.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at UKHSA, said: "Cold weather can have serious consequences for health, and older people and those with heart or lung conditions can be particularly at risk. If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you should heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable for you. Try to heat the rooms you use most, such as the living and bedroom, to at least 18°C if you can and keep your bedroom windows closed at night."
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Rebekah Sherwin, said: "Temperatures will start to dip this week, with daytime temperatures struggling to get above freezing in many places from mid-week onwards. However, the cold air from the Arctic will also bring brighter conditions, with some dry, sunny spells in many areas, particularly away from the coast."
The NHS website offers advice on staying well during a Level3 - Cold weather alert.
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