A severe cold weather alert has been issued by the Met Office for the county for the next few days.

The Level 2, yellow alert - labelled 'Alert and readiness' - states there is a 70 per cent probability of severe cold weather between 6pm on Thursday, January 13 and 9am on Monday, January 17. 

The Met Office has warned the cold weather could 'increase the health risks to vulnerable patients' and 'disrupt the delivery of services'. 

READ MORE: Yellow weather warning issued for Oxfordshire as fog expected

The weather forecaster has adviced vunerable people to 'stock up foods and medicines so you don’t have to go out too much when it’s cold or icy'.

As well as this, when people are indoors they should 'stay warm, heat homes to at least 18°C, and keep up-to-date with the weather forecast'. 

During the period of cold weather there will be an increased risk of 'sharp overnight frosts' and areas of 'fog or freezing fog forming'.

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "Given the light winds and weak sun by day, there is a risk that areas of fog may persist for lengthy periods over successive days, and readily reform and thicken in subsequent nights.

"This is likely to suppress daytime temperatures in affected areas, such that the mean temperature of less than 2 degrees Celsius criterion may be achieved.

"At present, the risk of these conditions continuing into the following working week looks to lessen, as more unsettled, breezier conditions may make inroads from the west, although the precise timing of this change is uncertain at present."

A Level 2 alert is triggered by the Met Office when the risk of severe weather is 60 per cent or above. 

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