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People may now be more vulnerable to health impacts during cold weather spells than previously, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data suggest.
In its first ‘Cold mortality monitoring report‘, published on 18 February 2026, the agency said in the most recent five-year period (2018/2019 to 2024/2025, excluding two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic), cold weather vulnerability had increased when the relationship between temperature and mortality was analysed. This was compared to the previous five-year period of 2013/2014 to 2017/2018.
The agency said that 2,544 deaths associated with cold weather in England were recorded between November 2024 and January 2025. These occurred across three ‘cold episodes’, defined as two or more consecutive days where the average daily mean temperature across England was below 2°C.
Older people, especially those aged 85 years and older, were especially vulnerable. The agency also found that males accounted for 57% of the deaths England recorded in 2024/2025 (n=1,439).
Of the total deaths recorded, the UKHSA said that 1,448 were directly associated with cold weather and were independent of influenza circulation.
The remaining 1,095 deaths were “linked to cold weather causing increases in influenza infection”, it said.
The highest number of cold-related deaths (n=834) were related to circulatory diseases. Other conditions associated with cold-related deaths included dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (n=394), cancer (n=264), chronic lower respiratory diseases (n=233), and influenza and pneumonia (n=211).
The relationship between cold temperatures and higher mortality increased more steeply in care homes and people’s own homes than in hospitals, the report said.
Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “Cold weather remains a serious and preventable risk to public health.
“This report provides important new evidence on how cold affects mortality, helping to ensure that Cold Weather Alerts and preparedness measures are grounded in evidence of health impact. The findings suggest that even short periods of cold can lead to significant increases in mortality, often days or weeks after the temperature drops.”
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: “It’s good that these figures are now being reported and analysed by the UKHSA and over time this should enable us to understand trends in cold-related mortality.
“In most respects, it confirms what we already know: for example, that older people are considerably more vulnerable to the cold than others, especially if they have pre-existing cardiovascular problems — because being cold raises your blood pressure,” she added.
“The fact that older men emerge from this first report as more vulnerable than women is interesting and is something to watch and understand more about as further reports are produced.”
“[Cold weather is] undoubtedly a threat for older people in poor health and as our population ages it’s inevitable that more will be impacted. This reinforces the importance of us doing everything we can to support older people to stay fit and well through the winter.
“Encouraging older people on low incomes to run their heating by providing financial support with energy bills, promoting vaccination and funding ambitious home insulation programmes are just three of the steps government can take.”
The UKHSA said that further research over longer time periods is needed to confirm whether the recent increase in cold-related mortality is a sustained pattern.
However, it added that the findings suggest cold weather vulnerability may be increasing even if average winter temperatures are not becoming colder. It cited the following factors that could influence cold-associated mortality:
- Home insulation and heating;
- Access to healthcare;
- Vaccination uptake; and
- Awareness of cold weather risks.
