Last updated at 11:31, Sunday, 13 January 2013

Health and social services have been urged to take immediate action, after the Met Office issued a severe warning of cold weather and ice.

The Government’s weather forecaster has warned of a 90 per cent probability of severe weather, beginning at 9am today and lasting until Friday morning.

The level three warning is the second highest possible, and is issued as part of the Met Office’s cold weather health watch.

The thresholds have been developed to trigger an alert when severe cold weather is likely to significantly affect people's health, and take account of temperature as well as other winter weather threats such as ice and snow.

Cumbria is among the areas predicted to be worst hit, with low temperatures meaning the snow expected to fall in much of the county today will not thaw.

Tomorrow will see the highest temperatures of the week for much of the county, with the mercury peaking at just 3 degrees in Carlisle and 4 degrees in Workington.

However, night-time temperatures are expected to drop as low as -3 overnight – feeling even colder on the west coast – and struggle to reach above freezing in the coming days.

First published at 11:02, Sunday, 13 January 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk