UK households are being advised to stock up on six essential food items at supermarkets this week as the country gears up for severe weather conditions. With a series of amber and yellow weather warnings in place, the nation is set to face a mix of heavy rain, strong winds, ice, and snow over the New Year period.
The Met Office has cautioned that the upcoming “disruptive” weather could affect almost the entire UK, with multiple weather warnings issued for this week. Parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Northern England will experience heavy rain and strong winds from now until Thursday, while northern Scotland is expected to see up to 5cm of snow as we head into the New Year.
The national weather service has also warned of potential power cuts, disrupted mobile phone coverage, and the possibility of some rural communities becoming isolated. In light of these forecasts, households are being encouraged to prepare by ensuring they have essential supplies.
The Met Office advises: “You could be without food, heat or light if you are cut off by snow and can’t access services and amenities for a number of days. Act now and be prepared, by getting the essentials together that you could need.”
Alongside torches and battery packs, it’s suggested that people make sure their homes are well stocked with essential food items to weather the storm, reports The Express.
Now, Direct Energy has issued advice to stockpile non-perishable snacks and essentials in case local shops become inaccessible or power outages occur, preventing hunger during such times. The energy provider suggests ensuring these six vital items are at hand before a snowstorm strikes:
– Bread.
– Milk.
– Tinned goods including soups and stews.
– Snack foods such as crisps, crackers, and cookies in sealed packages.
– Cereal and granola.
– Dried pasta and jars of sauce.
The company warns: “After heavy snowfall or blizzard conditions, you could find yourself snowed in for days. Getting cut off from your local grocery store could be made worse by a prolonged power outage, which would leave you with just a few hours to enjoy the remaining contents of your fridge safely.”
“But if you stock your pantry with filling shelf-stable foods, you won’t go hungry while waiting for the snow to be cleared.”
With forecasts indicating continued wintry conditions into the weekend and a steep drop in temperatures, the Met Office elaborates: “Wintry showers are expected to affect the far north and east at times, but away from these, sunshine will be much more widespread than in recent days. Overnight temperatures will widely fall below freezing, perhaps reaching minus double digits in areas of Scotland already covered in snow.”
“Snow and ice are likely to lead to some travel disruption and difficult driving conditions on New Year’s Day and overnight until 2 January in parts of northern Scotland, and a Yellow Warning has been issued.”
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