As near-freezing temperatures hit the capital, homelessness charity St Mungo’s has launched new cold-activated Orange Warnings across major London train stations — a targeted alert system designed to help people sleeping rough find immediate safety, warmth and life-saving support.
Fronted by ITV weather presenter Alex Beresford, the warnings activate whenever temperatures fall below 6°C — a threshold the charity identifies as potentially life-threatening for anyone without shelter. According to St Mungo’s, the UK experienced 161 days at or below 6°C last year, with the overwhelming majority during winter.
The initiative has been introduced as rough sleeping continues to rise, particularly across London, and as public uncertainty about how to help people experiencing homelessness remains high.
Why the Temperature Threshold Matters
St Mungo’s warns that anything below 6°C can lead to severe illness or death for people exposed to the elements overnight. Their outreach teams saw the impact first-hand last winter, with 43% of the people they assessed presenting urgent physical health issues such as hypothermia, frostbite and respiratory infections.
Cold weather is expected to pose an increasing threat. Current projections indicate that deaths linked to extreme cold will peak around 2030, while deaths from moderate cold could reach record levels by the 2050s.
For health information on cold-related risks, see the NHS overview on hypothermia: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hypothermia/
Where the Orange Warnings Will Appear
The warnings will run across key commuter hubs — locations where rough sleepers often seek shelter:
• Victoria
• Kings Cross
• Waterloo
• Charing Cross
• Euston
• London Bridge
These stations offer basic protection from the elements, but still expose vulnerable people to intense cold and potential harm.
A Growing Crisis: Rough Sleeping in London
New figures show that an estimated 4,667 people were sleeping rough on a single night in autumn last year — a 20% increase from the year before. Nearly half of them were in London and the South East.
London recorded the steepest increase, rising from 1,132 people in 2023 to 1,318 in 2024.
Public Uncertainty About How to Help
The Orange Warning campaign also responds to a concerning trend: 33% of the public don’t know how to support people experiencing homelessness, and only 3% made a referral to StreetLink last year — the UK service that enables people to report someone sleeping rough and trigger specialist outreach support.
Learn how to make a StreetLink referral here: https://www.streetlink.org.uk/
Meanwhile, 40% of the public did not donate or offer any form of support to people experiencing homelessness in the past year, highlighting a significant gap between public compassion and practical action.
Voices from the Front Line
Lee, who experienced nearly three decades of intermittent rough sleeping, described winter on the streets as “brutal,” recounting nights where he woke covered in snow or slept in a graveyard while squirrels chewed through his sleeping bag.
His life changed after meeting a St Mungo’s outreach worker in 2016. “They helped me build a routine, gain confidence and take new courses which helped me get off the streets,” he said. “With the right support everything can change.”
Weather presenter Alex Beresford adds: “Freezing temperatures can be incredibly dangerous. If you spot the Orange Warning this winter, pause, think of those facing the cold and visit St Mungo’s website to see how you can help.”
St Mungo’s CEO Emma Haddad notes that winter is especially punishing for people sleeping rough: “Our teams find people needing treatment for hypothermia, pneumonia and frostbite. With the public’s support, we can help people find safety, warmth and a place they can finally call their own.”
How to Support St Mungo’s This Winter
St Mungo’s frontline teams operate day and night, providing:
• Emergency shelter
• Outreach support
• Medical assistance
• Counselling
• Employment services
• Skills training
To learn more about donating or making a referral, visit St Mungo’s: https://www.mungos.org/
