The UK government and food security experts are urging households to stockpile emergency food supplies ahead of a "Super El Niño" weather event, which is expected to bring severe storms this autumn before a cold snap in winter. Defra Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said having a food store could help people cope before emergency services can reach them, while Professor Elizabeth Robinson of the London School of Economics said such preparation makes sense for households that can afford it, though she stressed government also has a responsibility to ensure the country's overall food resilience.

Professor Robinson recommends keeping two weeks' worth of non-perishable food and water at home, including pasta, rice, tinned foods that need no heating, beans, pulses, tinned fish or meat, vegetables, tinned fruit, and UHT or powdered milk. The government's own "household emergency plan" separately lists nine essential supplies, among them a torch, power bank, radio, spare batteries, first aid kit, wet wipes, bottled water and a tin opener, plus nappies and formula for households with babies. El Niño occurs every two to seven years when weakening Pacific trade winds let warm water build up, raising global temperatures and disrupting weather; Robinson also warned it could push up food prices, particularly for imported fruit, vegetables, rice, coffee, cocoa, tea, animal feed and meat and dairy.