The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a health warning ahead of winter after new estimates linked approximately 2,200 deaths to cold weather across five cold snaps in England during winter 2025-26, as reported by ChronicleLive. Four groups in particular face the greatest risk from cold weather deaths this season.
The worst single episode was a nine-day stretch in early January, which the UKHSA linked to an estimated 1,563 fatalities. The North West had the highest regional mortality rate, reaching 52 deaths per million population attributed to cold, with the East Midlands and Yorkshire and The Humber the next most affected regions.
North East figures stand apart
Despite experiencing colder temperatures than many other regions, the North East recorded no cold-related deaths during the monitoring period, according to the UKHSA. The agency noted that regional differences in cold-related mortality do not necessarily reflect differences in winter temperatures, and that factors including housing standards, home heating, population health and individual adaptation to cold may all play a role. Further research is needed to understand the variation, the UKHSA said.
Circulatory diseases accounted for the largest share of cold-related deaths, with an estimated 757 deaths attributed to those conditions. Flu and pneumonia showed a different pattern, with mortality risk rising during both extremely cold spells and some milder periods, pointing to what the UKHSA described as ‘a complex interaction between cold weather and seasonal infections’.
Who is most at risk
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: ‘Cold weather poses a serious risk to health, particularly for people who are more vulnerable because of their age, health, or living circumstances. Our cold weather mortality report shows that around 2,200 people died as a result of very low temperatures last winter.’
Dr Sousa added: ‘While this estimate of cold-associated deaths is lower than we saw during the previous winter, these figures show that even short periods of cold weather can have serious effects on health and can lead to increased deaths in the days and weeks that follow.’
The UKHSA identified four groups as being most susceptible: those in homes that are poorly insulated or who are in fuel poverty; those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions; those aged 65 or over; and those living with dementia.
For context on regional trends, a UKHSA report published in February 2026 covering the previous winter (November 2024 to March 2025) found the East of England had the highest mortality rate that season, at 63 cold-associated deaths per million population, ahead of the North West and East Midlands.
Dr Sousa said the agency wants people to keep parts of their homes warm, check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours, and follow weather forecasts and public health advice during cold spells.