Nearly two dozen people sleeping rough were brought in from the cold on the first night of a city’s emergency weather program.

Snow fell in Liverpool and Merseyside on Monday as temperatures fell to freezing for the first time in 2024.

The number of people sleeping rough has increased in the city throughout 2024 compared to the same period last year, the Local democracy information service said.

The average number of people seen each night sleeping rough between April and September 2024 was 30, an increase from the average of 22 people seen per night during the same period in 2023.

Each year, in preparation for winter, Liverpool City Council reserves hotel rooms and provides ‘seated spaces’ as part of its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).

Kath Wallace, the council’s director of commissioning, said Liverpool has a “more generous” trigger temperature than other parts of the country.

SWEP is activated when temperatures drop to two degrees over the course of a single night, compared to zero degrees for three or more nights elsewhere in the country.

The protocol typically runs from December to March, but was activated early due to the sudden drop in temperatures earlier in the week.

Over the past three winters, Liverpool have triggered SWEP an average of seven times and 25 nights each winter.

In 2023-2024, 124 people were placed thanks to SWEP, compared to 78 the previous year.

Ms Wallace said officials hoped the reinstatement of the winter night assessment center would take place in December.

Last winter, during the 12 weeks of operation, 148 people used the service, 130 of whom stayed at least one night.

The hub was provided free of charge to the council over the winter period, Ms Wallace confirmed as she revealed 22 people needed support on Monday alone.

Additional guest room space has already been reserved for those who need it.

Ms Wallace said: “Everyone who is outside is welcome to come indoors. Unfortunately, during this time not everyone will be coming indoors.”