The UK government is encouraging households to take simple steps to prepare for major emergencies and disruptions, including severe weather, infrastructure failures, cyber incidents and other risks that could affect everyday life.
The advice forms part of a broader government effort to strengthen resilience across the country. The Cabinet Office’s National Risk Register 2026 identifies serious risks facing the UK, while the government’s resilience plans include new public guidance designed to help households prepare for disruption.
The government’s preparedness campaign does not mean authorities are telling the public that war is imminent. Instead, households are being encouraged to have basic supplies and plans that could prove useful during a range of emergencies.
Water and Food Among Recommended Supplies
Official guidance recommends keeping essential supplies at home in case people need to remain indoors during an emergency lasting several days.
These can include bottled drinking water, non-perishable food that does not require cooking, a first-aid kit, torches, spare batteries, a portable power bank and a battery or wind-up radio. Households are also advised to keep essential medicines available.
The government says there is no single amount of water suitable for every emergency. Its preparedness guidance cites a World Health Organization recommendation of approximately 2.5–3 litres of drinking water per person per day for survival, with additional water potentially required for cooking and hygiene.
Cyberattacks and Hostile-State Activity
The preparedness push comes amid a wider assessment of risks facing Britain. The UK’s 2026 National Risk Register includes risks involving cyberattacks and other national-security threats, while the government has separately highlighted the growing complexity of threats from foreign states and their proxies.
The government’s 2025 National Security Strategy also stated that Britain needs to prepare for the possibility of its homeland coming under direct threat, including in a potential wartime scenario.
What Should Families Do?
Officials recommend making a household emergency plan, deciding how family members would communicate if normal services were disrupted and keeping important telephone numbers and information in physical form.
People are also encouraged to identify local risks, discuss emergency arrangements with family members and consider the needs of vulnerable neighbours.
Public Preparedness Remains Limited
The government’s 2026 public survey found that 85% of respondents reported having at least three days’ worth of non-perishable food, while only 4% had enough bottled water for three or more days based on the government’s calculation.
The latest advice therefore focuses less on predicting a specific disaster and more on ensuring households can cope with disruption when it occurs. Whether caused by extreme weather, power or water outages, cyber incidents or a wider national-security crisis, basic preparedness can help families manage the first few days of an emergency.
