UK households urged to stockpile 5 items before Thursday

Households in various parts of the UK are being urged to stockpile five essential household items before Thursday – and no, it’s not New Year’s Day champers.

Scotland has been served a yellow weather warning for snow by the Met Office, while other parts of England, Scotland and Wales as well as Northern Ireland are also bracing for some mixture of snow, wind and rain warnings between Monday and Thursday.

It looks set to be a ‘white New Year’ in many parts of the country, although England is mostly facing extreme wind warnings on January 1.

Scotland has been hit with a rare amber weather warning for heavy rain from Tuesday, December 31, localised to central Scotland, while the rest of the country is being warned to prepare for snow.

An extreme weather warning has been put in place across most of England for strong winds, either on Tuesday in the north or Wednesday in the south, while some form of snow, ice or rain warning will stay in place until Thursday.

Households are being urged to stockpile essential items at home to help cope with possible travel disruption, power cuts and damage to their homes.

Energy firm British Gas, in its advice on dealing with power cuts, says customers should stockpile these five items.

Firstly, torches. A battery-powered or even kinetic (i.e. wind-up) torch is extremely useful in any possible power cut situation.

Spare batteries, both AA and AAA and whatever your torch takes, will also come in useful.

A back-up charger for mobile phones, such as a battery pack with cable, would also be advised.

The firm added: “You might even consider a battery-powered radio, to keep on top of local updates if you can’t use your mobile.”

And naturally, keep a cupboard stocked with essential foods that you can prepare without electricity. It’s easier if you have a gas hob, as you can still cook soups, tinned meats and tinned potatoes on a gas hob, or make porridge.

But foods like tinned rice pudding, breakfast cereals, breakfast bars, nuts and seeds, and chocolate, can all be stored and eaten safely in a power cut with no preparation needed if you don’t have electricity or gas.

If you do have a power cut, call 105 from your mobile to report it.