UK government urges households to stockpile supplies for national emergencies

The UK government's "Be Ready" campaign advises all households to keep at least three days' worth of bottled water, non-perishable food, wet wipes, a torch, and cash to prepare for potential disruptions from severe weather and cyber attacks. Disaster planning expert Professor Lucy Easthope said this preparation helps emergency services cope, noting that having extra medication for 48 hours can prevent immediate reliance on emergency pharmacists. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting stated the advice aims to improve "national resilience" generally, not based on any "particular piece of intelligence," and is linked to the increasing frequency of extreme weather due to man-made climate change.