UK households are being advised to stockpile five essential items ahead of Thursday, and it’s not New Year’s Day champagne. A yellow weather warning for snow has been issued by the Met Office for Scotland, while other regions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are preparing for a mix of snow, wind and rain warnings from Monday through to Thursday.
It appears that many parts of the country will be welcoming a ‘white New Year’, although England is primarily bracing for severe wind warnings on January 1. Central Scotland has received a rare amber weather warning for heavy rain starting Tuesday, December 31, while the rest of the country is being cautioned to prepare for snow.
An extreme weather warning has been implemented across most of England for strong winds, either on Tuesday in the north or Wednesday in the south, with some form of snow, ice or rain warning remaining in place until Thursday. Households are being encouraged to stockpile essential items at home to help manage potential travel disruptions, power outages and damage to their homes.
British Gas, in its guidance on handling power cuts, suggests customers should stockpile these five items. Firstly, torches, reports the Express.
A battery-powered or even kinetic (ie wind-up) torch can be incredibly useful in any potential power cut situation. Spare batteries, both AA and AAA and whatever your torch requires, will also prove handy.
The company suggests being prepared with a back-up mobile phone charger, like a battery pack, and possibly a battery-powered radio to stay informed through local updates if your mobile is unusable. “You might even consider a battery-powered radio, to keep on top of local updates if you can’t use your mobile.”
They also advise keeping essentials handy which don’t require electricity to prepare, highlighting that while those with a gas hob can still whip up meals like soups or tinned meats, there are also no-prep needed options such as tinned rice pudding, cereals, and snacks like nuts and chocolate.
In an event of a power outage, they recommend calling 105 to report the issue.
Households are being urged to stockpile five essential items
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