UK Tells People to Keep Three Days of Emergency Supplies at Home

The British government is asking people in the UK to keep three days' worth of emergency supplies at home. Officials made the announcement on Friday, pointing to a big internet outage this week and a summer filled with dangerous heat, drought, and wildfires. They want families to be ready if another crisis hits suddenly.

The internet outage happened because of a serious flaw found in PHP, a popular programming language used to run many websites and online services. When the flaw was revealed on Wednesday, hackers around the world made millions of attempts to break into systems. Some services were forced offline, making it one of the biggest cybersecurity events in recent years.

The British government said the PHP outage was a perfect example of why its new 'Be Ready' campaign matters. The campaign advises people to store three days of bottled water and non-perishable food — food that won't go bad quickly — in their homes. Officials hope this simple step will help families survive the first few days of any emergency on their own.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham held a special meeting about the growing threat of wildfires. He said the UK had often been 'on the back foot' when dealing with emergencies, meaning the country reacted too slowly instead of planning ahead. As part of a new wildfire response plan, the government said it will use military aircraft to help fight fires.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that cyberattacks will happen more and more often in the future. He said artificial intelligence, or AI, is making it easier for bad actors to find weak spots in computer systems. He also pointed to dangers from hostile foreign governments, organised criminal groups, and the effects of climate change.

Streeting said the UK is now facing a higher level of danger than it has in a very long time. He made these comments during an appearance on the BBC programme 'Question Time.' His words were a strong reminder that threats today come from many different directions at once.

The UK's advice is very similar to guidance already given by the European Commission. Last year, the EU told its citizens to keep a 72-hour emergency kit at home. That kit should include food, water, cash, and power banks to charge phones and other devices when the power goes out.