More than 15 million Britons have been handed an amber Cold-Health Alert (CHA) by UK health authorities as the country braces for winter.
Temperatures are set to plummet across the country by the end of this week thanks to a freezing north wind - with a host of yellow snow and ice warnings already in force in Scotland and the North.
Now, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has put an amber CHA in place for Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and North East, home to some 15 million people.
Meanwhile, the rest of England has been issued a yellow CHA.
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The pair of alerts both stretch from midday on Monday to 8am on Saturday, with the UKHSA warning of "significant" knock-on impacts across the health sector.
The agency explicitly warns of a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "This is the first prolonged cold spell of the season, and it is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
"The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions."
PICTURED: UKHSA (left) and Met Office (right) maps of Britain for the end of this week. An amber CHA has been issued as temperatures fall
|UKHSA/MET OFFICE
Meanwhile, Met Office forecasters have outlined what the picture looks like between Wednesday and Friday - tipped to be the coldest part of the week.
Deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree said those three days have "the greatest potential for impactful weather" amid the series of warnings.
He continued: "Overnight, temperatures could get down to -10C, with a significant wind chill from the strong northerly wind making things feel even colder.
"Wintry snow showers are expected to extend south through Wednesday and into Thursday, mainly affecting north facing coastal areas," Mr Crabtree continued.
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Large parts of the country could soon see up to five centimetres of snow
|PA
In northern and eastern England, two to five centimetres of snow could fall - a number which rises to five to 10 centimetres in hilly parts of the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In the highest-altitude parts of the country, November's first snowfall could reach 20 centimetres, the Met Office said.
Mr Crabtree continued: "Although many places will see plenty of sunshine, daytime temperatures will be well below average, with a widespread frost setting in during the evening, especially in sheltered areas.
"With sub-zero temperatures in the first 'cold snap' of the year, updates to the current warnings are possible, so its important people keep up to date with the forecast," he said.
'Although many places will see plenty of sunshine, daytime temperatures will be well below average,' deputy chief forecaster Tom Crabtree said
| PAHowever, things are set to heat up going into the weekend.
By Friday, the Met Office has predicted drier and milder climes - though those in the west may be forced to endure some rain sweeping in later in the day.
More showery conditions will likely follow but there will be some brighter spells at times, forecasters' long-range predictions say.
The showery conditions will likely persist for a few days, though there is some risk of Atlantic frontal systems moving in from the west at times, it adds.