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Fri, 04 Sep 2026

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 Stock up on food to prepare for extreme weather, minister says

Dame Angela Eagle warns the weather event could lead to extreme storms this winter.

* Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle warns that El Niño will lead to "more extreme storms" in the UK, with drier summers and wetter winters.
* The strongest El Niño event in a generation is developing over the Pacific Ocean.
* Dame Angela advises households to stock up on food to prepare for emergencies, saying "if you've got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you're going to be a lot better off".
* The National Audit Office (NAO) warns that Britain's food supply chain is vulnerable to plant or human disease outbreaks, cyber-attacks and extreme weather.
* The NAO says the government is too reliant on private companies to handle disruptions to food supply and has not done enough to improve supply chain resilience.
* UK households are less prepared for emergencies than those in countries like Finland, Sweden, and European Union nations.
* A new strategy will be unveiled later this year to help households prepare for national emergencies, including cyber-attacks and extreme weather.