Minister tells Brits to stock up on days of supplies after ‘supersize’ El Niño warning

Exclusive: Angela Eagle urges people to be ‘a bit more resilient’ as she tells UK citizens to plan for national emergencies

British people have been urged to have enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, as the UN said the El Niño climate phenomenon was “supersizing before our eyes”, exacerbating extreme weather events worldwide.

Forecasters say they are braced for the biggest El Niño in 1,000 years, bringing wildfires and floods to parts of the world, and the threat of a wet, stormy winter for the UK. As the British government plans a campaign urging citizens to prepare for national emergencies, Angela Eagle told the Guardian the likelihood of a wild winter showed the importance of having supplies at home.