The UK government has launched the ‘Be Ready campaign and urged people to store essential items such as food, water, cash and more at home for up to three days. Here’s why it is important amid wildfires, storm, cybersecurity threats and more in the nation.
The UK government has launched the "Be Ready" campaign. Recently, it has advised people to stock up on essential items such as food, water, cash and more at home for up to three days. This comes amid severe weather, cyberattacks and threats from hostile states, which are expected to disrupt essential services.
Why PM Andy Burnham urged people to stock food, water, cash
It is a part of the government's "Be Ready" campaign. It reportedly aims to manage emergency situations for the people. Such a crisis is likely to interrupt electricity, communications, transport and access to other essential services.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham shared the guidance. He urged people to take precautions instead of panic buying. “Unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common,” Burnham said, quoted by the BBC.
What did the govt say
The government recommended that households keep three days' supplies of bottled water and tinned food to deal with extreme situations such as a war, an online attack or a natural disaster.
Burnham, "It's not about panicking... It's about just taking sensible measures to have enough in the house to tide you over should there be a difficult situation."
The campaign arrived after recent storms that reportedly left homes without electricity. Recently, a major cybersecurity incident also took place linked to vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language used by millions of websites worldwide.
What to keep
It is recommended for households to maintain enough emergency supplies to last at least 72 hours. This includes nine litres of drinking water per person for three days, along with additional water for cooking and washing needs. Other essential supplies should include tinned meat and vegetables, dry food supplies, dried fruit and other non-perishable food items alongside a torch with spare batteries and a battery-powered or wind-up FM radio for emergency updates; blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothing, a first-aid kit and essential medicines. Households should also keep hand sanitiser, wet wipes, toiletries, a charged power bank, cash, payment cards, copies of important documents and a written list of emergency contacts. Families with babies should stock essential supplies, while pet owners should keep food and water for their animals.
Cybersecurity threats
Cybersecurity is reported to be among the concerns behind the government’s campaign, especially after vulnerabilities in PHP prompted organisations to review their systems, disrupted some services and triggered widespread hacking attempts, as per a report by Money Control.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre sent 50,000 alerts to organisations affected by the issue. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that cyber incidents could become more frequent amid the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. He also warned against threats from hostile states, organised criminals and climate change.
Last month, the National Audit Office warned that cyberattacks and the climate crisis posed growing threats to the country's food supply chain. The chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents companies transporting temperature-controlled food, told the BBC that Russian cyber-hackers were targeting the UK and knew where the food supply system was vulnerable.
Storms, wildfire, drought and more
Severe weather has further affected the nation. Storm Goretti, which struck earlier this year in January, left tens of thousands of homes without electricity across parts of the Midlands, south-west England and Wales, with winds reaching nearly 100 mph, according to The Guardian. The UK has also experienced heat, drought and wildfires during the summer.
Not just the UK, the European Commission had also issued similar guidance last year, encouraging people across the region to maintain a 72-hour emergency kit containing essentials such as food, water, cash and power banks.
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Sneha Biswas
Sneha Biswas specialises in covering entertainment and pop culture, with a specialisation on Bollywood, Hollywood, OTT platforms, K-pop, K-dramas, and major developments in the US entertainment industry. She believes in telling stories that balance speed with substance, and in making entertainment journalism contextual, culturally aware, and reader-first rather than purely reactive.<br><br> With over six years of experience in digital media, Sneha currently serves as a Deputy Chief Content Producer at Live Mint. She has spent more than three and a half years with the HT Group and returned to the organisation in February 2025, joining Live Mint to uplift the entertainment section. Over the past year, she has been closely involved in entertainment coverage including breaking news, explainers, trend reporting, box office reports and analysis for the audience.<br><br> Sneha is Google News certified, having completed training focused on newsroom best practices, digital reporting, and SEO-driven content strategies. Her work reflects a strong understanding of audience behaviour, search trends, and the evolving consumption patterns of entertainment news across formats.<br><br> Prior to her current role, Sneha has worked across multiple content and editorial functions within digital newsrooms, building expertise in content planning, editing, and real-time coverage. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of entertainment, internet culture, and global pop trends.<br><br> Working for the National city team, Biswas closely follows global entertainment movements while maintaining a strong pulse on what is happening in India.