Households urged to buy five essential items before Storm Bert arrives

Time is running out to stock up on essentials before Storm Bert batters the UK with snow, heavy rain and 70mph winds.

Yellow weather warnings are in place across western and northern England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from 4am on Saturday to at least 9am on Sunday.

There are even amber alerts in parts of Scotland due to the expected severity of the second named storm of the season.

High-speed winds, rainfall up to 75mm and snow 40cm deep in some areas could cause power cuts and making leaving the house difficult.

Rail services may be cancelled, pavements might be slippery, and phone coverage could drop off, particularly isolating rural communities.

That’s why electricity and gas provider Direct Energy has urged households to stock up on a list of five essentials while they still have the chance.

If you don’t, you could find yourself struggling to get to your local shop for supplies.

The list includes:

• Bread
• Tinned goods like soups and stews
• Non-perishable snack foods, including crisps, crackers and cookies
• Cereal and granola
• Dried pasta and jars of sauce

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said: ‘Storm Bert marks a shift to much milder air and wintry hazards will gradually diminish through the weekend, but heavy snowfall is expected across parts of northern England and Scotland for a time on Saturday, especially over higher ground, and  warnings are in place.

‘Heavy rain through Saturday and Sunday, especially in southern and western parts of the UK, will also bring impacts for some with a number of warnings in place.

‘We expect 50-75 mm of rainfall quite widely within the warning areas, but in excess of 100 mm is possible over high ground in parts of Wales and southwest England.

‘In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend and periods of strong winds are likely to exacerbate impacts and bring the potential for travel disruption, as well as flooding for some.’

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