UKHSA and the Met Office have issued an amber Cold-Health Alert (CHA) across the North West of England for this week.
After what had been an unseasonably warm and wet December and festive period, it seems the typical winter weather has well and truly arrived now, as a number of weather warnings have been dished out right across the UK for this week – including the amber CHA in the North West, which covers Greater Manchester.
The amber CHA – which also covers the West Midlands, East Midlands, and the South West of England – will stay in place until 12pm this Friday (12 January).
UKHSA and @metoffice have issued an amber Cold-Health Alert for the North West of England, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West of England until 12pm on Friday 12 January. Find out more here: https://t.co/W2FmqSrr56
While it’s only the amber CHA that Greater Manchester residents need to be aware of this week, for other regions in the UK, this alert has been issued on top a Yellow Cold-Health Alert, which still remains in place in the North East of England, Yorkshire and The Humber, East of England, South East of England, and London.
All regions had previously been placed under a yellow alert from 9am on Saturday 6 January, according to the UKHSA, and the Met Office had already been forecasting “a period of lower-than-average temperatures” across this past weekend and this coming week.
ADVERTISEMENT
But what exactly is an amber Cold-Health Alert? What does it mean? Who is set to be most affected? And what advice is being given out?
Well, under the new CHA system – which was introduced by the UKHSA and the Met Office back in June last year – an amber alert means that cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for “an extended period of time”.
ADVERTISEMENT
“There is potential for the whole population to be at risk,” the UKHSA warns.
UKHSA and the Met Office has issued an amber Cold-Health Alert for the North West of England / Credit: RawPixel
On top of this, there are other public sectors that may also start to “observe impacts”, and this will ultimately indicate that a “coordinated response is required”.
Speaking as the amber CHA was issued for the North West of England this week, and providing some advice for those who may need it most, Dr Agostinho Sousa, who is the Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “With the Met Office forecasting drops in temperature across the UK into next week, it is important to check in on the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Cold weather can increase the risks of heart attacks, strokes, and chest infections, so it can have a serious impact on health, particularly for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
The UKHSA has issued some top tips which you can use to keep yourself and others safe during periods of cold weather:
Check the weather forecast and the news
Make sure you have sufficient food and medicine
Take simple measures to reduce draughts at home
Keep bedroom windows closed
Wear multiple layers of thinner clothing
If you’re eligible, get vaccinated against flu and COVID-19
Get help if needed – and call NHS 111 or 999 in an emergency
The impactful rain and showers which have been a feature of the new year’s weather will ease with many regions becoming fine and dry over the weekend.
Dr Sousa continued: “Temperatures are expected to turn particularly cold overnight, as we would expect at this time of year.
“So if you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat the rooms where you spend most of your time, such as your living room or bedroom, in the coming days.”
Find out more information about staying safe during cold weather here.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of £2.5bn investment package
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Stockport is finally getting trams.
It’s been a long time coming, so long, in fact, that rumours first began swirling all the way back in July 2022 when then Prime Minister Boris Johnson hinted at in PMQs, all before Mayor Andy Burnham insisted in October 2023 that he had ‘big ambitions’ to deliver the project once and for all, but now it’s finally been confirmed.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has today revealed that Stockport will be connected to the Metrolink tram network thanks to a £2.5 billion funding boost from the Government.
At this moment in time, Stockport is one of only a few boroughs in the region that’s not currently connected up to the expansive Metrolink network, but all of that is set to change very soon, as Greater Manchester is beginning the construction of the town’s very-first tram line.
It will help deliver:
🐝 Eight rail lines and 64 stations into the capped system by 2028
🐝 A new tram line to Stockport
🐝 A new tram-train service connecting Bury, Heywood, Rochdale and Oldham
While the intention for trams to eventually travel to and from the town has been known for quite some time now, there hasn’t been much talk of timelines or when this would actually become a reality.
For now, it seems there’s still no timelines as such, but at least there’s confirmation.
The confirmation that trams will be coming to Stockport forms part of a lineup of exciting transport announcements this week, all of which Andy Burnham has called a ‘game-changing moment’ that will ‘underpin Greater Manchester’s green growth’ for years to come.
Trams are officially coming to Stockport as part of a £2.5 billion investment package / Credit: TfGM
Other announcements include the fact that Greater Manchester‘s Bee Network is to become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030, local rail lines will be brought into the Bee Network before the end of the decade, fully joining up bike, bus, tram, and train travel for the first time outside London, and the introduction of new electric buses, tram lines, tram stops, and transport interchanges.
North Manchester, Bury, and Oldham are the areas set to receive new Metrolink stops to support delivery of thousands of new homes, and Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury will all be connected to each other via the Bee Network.
“Building on our strong track record, we can now move at pace to deliver the next phase of the Bee Network – creating the UK’s first fully electric, zero emission integrated public transport system by 2030,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham as the funding package was announced this week.
The Bee Network become a fully-electric, zero-emission public transport system by 2030 / Credit: TfGM
“With a pipeline of major transport projects better connecting our towns and cities, and local rail lines brought into the Bee Network, our communities will be the first outside London to be served by fully joined-up bike, bus, tram, and train travel.
“Greater Manchester has had a decade of growth faster than the UK average, and this funding can be the key to unlocking even more growth in the decade to come.
“It’s a major boost for our own plans to deliver £10bn of investment over the next 10 years, build thousands of new homes, create skilled jobs, and open up new opportunities right across our city-region.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Police still searching for answers six months after remains of baby girl found in Little Hulton park
Emily Sergeant
Six months on after the remains of a baby girl were found in a park in Little Hulton, police are still searching for answers.
It was on 20 November 2024 that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received a call from a member of the public reporting the discovery of what appeared to be human remains in a park in the Little Hulton area of Salford – but it was only when officers and detectives attended the scene that they determinted the remains to be that of a baby girl.
At the time, police referred to the baby simply as ‘Baby A’, but it’s now be confirmed that they chose to name her Ava.
Since that day, a dedicated team from GMP’s Major Incident Team has worked ‘tirelessly’ to uncover the truth about who Baby Ava was and what led to her being left alone.
Detectives have followed up on hundreds of public tips, conducted thousands of hours of house-to-house enquiries, reviewed extensive CCTV footage, and collaborated with police forces and agencies across the country in pursuit of identifying who baby Ava was and securing justice for her… but as of yet, there are no answers.
Police are still searching for answers six months after the remains of a baby girl found in a Little Hulton park / Credit: Google Maps
Information from the public also led police to speak with potential witnesses nationwide, and time was also spent trawling the national missing person database, focusing on cases involving females who were potentially pregnant and reported missing, yet these were unsuccessful.
To this day, police continue to work closely with a range of experts.
Currently, a botanist is helping detectives determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery site, and work is continuing with an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis to establish Ava’s age and ethnicity.
As investigations continue at a rapid pace, police have reissued their appeal to the public for information.
Police have since named the baby Ava as their search for answers continues / Credit: GMP
“We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we’re committed to uncovering the truth,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Charlotte Whalley, from GMP’s Major Incident Team. “We are more determined than ever to find who Ava is, who her parents are, and all of the possible scenarios and circumstances which have led Ava to being separated from them.
“I know how heartbreaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. The support and compassion we’ve received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest.
“If you are baby Ava’s mum, please know that you are not alone. You can contact us directly or ask someone you trust to reach out on your behalf. We want to help you.”
Anyone with any information that may be of assistance is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24, or by heading to the Major Incident Public Portal here.
Emily Sergeant -
8th January 2024 
