Six household essentials you need during freezing weather

Yellow cold weather warnings will come into force this morning with temperatures forecast to plunge as low as -7°C in some parts of the country.

With a rare cold weather health warning in place, this weekend is likely to be frigid.

Stephen Dixon, from the Met Office, said: ‘What we’re seeing with the UK’s weather over the next few days is the influence of high pressure and the development of south-easterly airflow which will see temperatures drop for many.

‘Overnight we could see temperatures drop as low as minus 7°C in rural parts of Scotland from Friday into the weekend.

‘Further south we’re still likely to see through the weekend sub-zero temperatures. Rural parts of southern Wales could reach minus 4°C from Friday overnight into the weekend.’

With more unpleasant weather yet to come, Brits are being urged to get prepared and ensure they have essential items on hand.

A Met Office spokesperson previously said: ‘You could be without food, heat or light if you are cut off by snow and can’t access services and amenities for a number of days.

‘Act now and be prepared, by getting the essentials together that you could need.’

Torches, batteries and candles are all useful to keep on hand in case of power cuts, with power banks to keep your devices charged are also handy.

But when it comes to stocking your kitchen, non-perishable foods are the way to go, to ensure you don’t go hungry.

A spokesperson for the firm said: ‘After heavy snowfall or blizzard conditions, you could find yourself snowed in for days.

‘Getting cut off from your local grocery store could be made worse by a prolonged power outage, which would leave you with just a few hours to enjoy the remaining contents of your fridge safely.

‘But if you stock your pantry with filling shelf-stable foods, you won’t go hungry while waiting for the snow to clear.’

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