UK urges households to keep three days of emergency supplies

The UK government’s Be Ready campaign urges households to keep three days of emergency supplies at home, including bottled water and nonperishable food, to help them cope if essential services are disrupted. The guidance cites severe weather and cyberattacks as potential causes of disruption. Recent heat, drought and wildfires, alongside a software security flaw affecting systems that use PHP, have featured in the government’s public preparedness messaging. The reports do not establish the specific impact of the PHP flaw on UK services. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the country had been “on the back foot” in responding to emergencies and needed a more proactive approach. He made the remarks at a meeting on wildfire response, where the government also announced a plan that includes deploying military aircraft to tackle wildfires. The campaign recommends enough food and water to last three days. Guidance also lists items including wet wipes, a torch and cash, and advises people who need medication to keep an extra supply where possible. These steps are intended to help households manage while emergency services respond to an incident or restore disrupted services. Defence...