UK minister Angela Eagle has urged people to keep enough food and water to survive a few days without power or water, as the UN warns the El Niño climate phenomenon is intensifying extreme weather worldwide.
Key facts
- Angela Eagle urged UK citizens to be 'a bit more resilient' and plan for national emergencies.
- People were advised to have enough food and water to last a few days without power or water.
- The UN said El Niño was 'supersizing before our eyes', exacerbating extreme weather globally.
- Forecasters are braced for the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world.
- The UK faces the threat of a wet, stormy winter, according to the Guardian report.
British people have been urged to keep enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, according to an exclusive report by the Guardian. The call comes as the United Nations warned that the El Niño climate phenomenon was ‘supersizing before our eyes’, exacerbating extreme weather events worldwide.
Angela Eagle told the Guardian that the likelihood of a wild winter showed the importance of having supplies at home. She urged people to be ‘a bit more resilient’ and to plan for national emergencies.
Forecasters say they are braced for the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, the Guardian reported. The phenomenon is bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world, and poses the threat of a wet, stormy winter for the UK.
The advice forms part of a wider government effort, with the British government planning a campaign urging citizens to prepare for national emergencies. Eagle framed household preparedness as a practical step given the forecast conditions.
The warning connects a global climate pattern to potential local disruption, with officials pointing to the possibility of interruptions to power and water supplies during severe winter weather.
Why it matters
Advice for households to keep emergency supplies signals growing official concern about how extreme weather could disrupt essential services in the UK. Linking a global climate phenomenon to a stormy winter underscores the practical, everyday consequences of intensifying weather events.
Frequently asked questions
What did the minister advise people to do?
Angela Eagle urged people to have enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, and to be 'a bit more resilient' by planning for national emergencies.
How severe is the El Niño being forecast?
Forecasters say they are braced for the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, and the UN said the phenomenon was 'supersizing before our eyes', bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world.
What weather could the UK face this winter?
According to the Guardian, the UK faces the threat of a wet, stormy winter as a result of the intensifying El Niño.