This week, a late-arriving Polar Vortex is set to make temperatures drop, worsening over the duration of the week. Most nights will be reaching below freezing.

For most of us, this is a minor inconvenience, sorted by turning the heating up and wearing a few extra layers. However, for those living on the streets, it can pose a genuine life threat.

A record of around 40 people have been thought to be sleeping rough on the streets of Merseyside, according to January 2018 figures. Only recently, a homeless man in his 40s died after a night of freezing temperatures across Merseyside, possibly exacerbating his pre-existing medical conditions.

Thankfully, as the issue has gained more media attention, more things that you can do to help homeless people through cold temperature have become available. Liverpool (0300123041) and Manchester (01612345339) both have emergency numbers that you can ring to alert services to those who are sleeping rough in cold weather. Furthermore, app Streetlink acts as a way to help people connect rough sleepers with services that can help.

Featured Image Courtesy of Public Domain Pictures.

Ally Dinning

Head of Online News