Minister urges Britons to stock up on food and water after El Nino extreme weather warning

Minister urges Britons to stock up on food and water after El Nino extreme weather warning Forecasters predict the biggest El Nino in 1,000 years which is set to bring and wet and stormy winter to the UK - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Britons have been urged to stock up on enough food and water to survive a few days without power or a water supply. It comes as forecasters predict the biggest El Nino in 1,000 years, which could bring extreme heat, flooding and wildfires across the globe. The UK is likely to be hit with a wet and stormy winter. The government is planning a campaign to advise citizens to prepare for national emergencies and Environment Secretary Angela Eagle stressed the importance of keeping supplies at home. Speaking about the wetter winters and drier summers the El Nino will bring, Ms Eagle told the Guardian: “It will do a lot more damage in Asia with flooding, and therefore I think that we need to take it seriously. “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 than if you haven’t. So some of it is that kind of preparation for just being a bit more resilient.” El Nino is a meteorological phenomenon where sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean get warmer. It usually occurs every two to seven years and lasts several months disrupting weather patterns worldwide and pushing up global temperatures. Forecasts from the the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) global network of climate centres expects the El Nino to peak towards the end of this year, with impacts from the weather phenomenon likely to continue well into next year. Fuelled by exceptionally warm ocean conditions across the tropical Pacific, WMO secretary-General Celeste Saulo warned it has “the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world”. Analysis from the Energy and Climate Unit (ECIU) found that countries that could be exposed to climate extremes were the source of 13 per cent of UK food imports. That means food such as rice, for which India is the UKs biggest supplier and citrus fruits from South Africa and Peru, coffee from Brazil and tea from Kenya could all be impacted. The threat of hot weather and storms comes after five back-to-back heatwaves plunged the country into drought. This has already put severe pressure on the water system, wildlife, farmers, emergency services and infrastructure. Tinned food and bottled water are some of the essential items a campaign from the Cabinet Office could ask people to stock up on in the coming months. Meanwhile Ms Eagle is set to oversee farming improvements and a new programme of reservoir building to prepare the countries for future years where extreme weather is more likely. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments