This article addresses common misconceptions about cold weather, debunking claims about catching colds from the cold, the impossibility of snow in extremely cold temperatures, and the reasons behind seasonal illnesses.
Cold-weather warnings are in force, but here are four common claims about the wintry conditions you shouldn't believeThe UK Health Security Agency has also issued an amber cold weather health alert until 8 January, meaning a rise in deaths is likely and there will be additional pressure on NHS services. The Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it is “a weekend to layer up and put the heating on” due to the cold conditions, with travellers being warned to take care on icy roads and pavements.
But while taking precautions in freezing conditions is sensible, there are some common beliefs about cold weather that aren’t based on scientific fact. Here are some claims you shouldn’t believe:Every winter, grandparents tell small children to wrap up well to avoid “catching their death of cold”. It’s clearly a good idea to dress for the weather, but fortunately, just feeling uncomfortably cold cannot cause respiratory infections.is higher in winter. Why this is has been debated for decades, says Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of East Anglia. One explanation is that colder air holds less moisture, which dries out the delicate membranes lining our nasal passages, making them more vulnerable to infection with viruses. Another is that people simply spend more time indoors in winter, which lets germs spread more easily between people. Norovirus, known as the winter vomiting virus, also tends to peak in winter, yet this is thought to mainly spread through contact with infected saliva.Freezing temperatures mean the possibility of snowfall, but when it gets extra chilly, some may claim that it is “too cold to snow”. Strictly speaking this is a myth, but there is a grain of truth to it, says Oli Claydon at the Met Office. Snowflakes form when tiny droplets of water inside clouds freeze into crystals of ice, usually with a minute particle such as dust or a pollen grain at the cor
WEATHER MYTHS COLD HEALTH SNOW
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