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UK urges households to stock up as major El Niño event looms
Published : Monday, 21 September, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Observer Online Report
British households are being urged to keep supplies of food and water at home as forecasters warn of an exceptionally strong El Niño event that could bring extreme weather across the world.
UK Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said households should have enough essential supplies to cope for several days without electricity or running water.
She warned that the expected El Niño could bring drier summers, wetter winters and more severe storms to the UK.
The United Nations has also warned that the climate phenomenon is intensifying rapidly, with Secretary-General António Guterres saying the world is entering “uncharted waters” as the risks from extreme weather increase.
El Niño is a natural climate cycle in which changes in Pacific Ocean winds cause sea temperatures to rise, releasing large amounts of heat into the atmosphere.
Current ocean temperatures at the centre of the phenomenon are around 2.6 degrees Celsius above the 30-year average. Forecasters expect the anomaly to reach about 4 degrees Celsius by November.
Climate analysts say evidence from corals, tree rings and historical records suggests an El Niño of this scale may not have occurred in at least 1,000 years.
The phenomenon is already being linked to worsening wildfires in Indonesia and weaker monsoon rainfall in India. Australia could face increased wildfire risks, while parts of South America could experience heavier flooding.
The World Food Programme has warned that the event could push around 50 million people into acute hunger.
The UK government is preparing a public campaign encouraging households to keep items such as tinned food and water and prepare for potential emergencies.
The government is also planning measures to strengthen the country's long-term resilience to extreme weather, including the construction of a new reservoir—the first in the UK since 1992—and reforms to support farmers.
- MaT
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
