UK minister urges households to stock up on food as strong El Niño develops over the Pacific

A government minister is warning people to keep extra food at home as the strongest El Niño event in a generation develops over the Pacific Ocean.

According to the Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle predictions, the powerful natural climate event will trigger more severe weather across the nation.

These comments came as the National Audit Officer warned Britain’s food supply chain is increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and the climate crisis.

In this connection, Dame Angela said: “We're about to experience probably the largest El Niño that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetted winters, with more extreme storms in this country.”

The supply chain disruptions could inflate prices and jeopardize vulnerable populations struggling to buy food. The NAO said the Department for Food, Environmental and Rural Affairs has been overly reliant on corporate actors to manage food security crises.

It further confirmed the department had not improved much in recent years to improve supply chain resilience.

The NATO further maintained that UK households are less prepared for emergencies than those in countries such as Finland, Sweden and European Union nations.

The government unveiled a roadmap of foundational measures households can take to prepare for food and water shortages in extreme cyberattacks. These strategies will work to bring the UK into line with European countries in terms of disaster preparedness.

Furthermore, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, Phil Pluck asserted that supply chain crises mean governments can no longer solely rely on the private sector in future.