Households have been advised to stock up on five food items as a "super El Nino" emerges in 2026, with forecasters warning of a harsh winter ahead. The effects of El Nino often peak during December, and this year's event looks particularly significant.
The global weather phenomenon occurs every few years in correlation with the warming of sea surface temperatures. It is causing extreme weather globally, bringing unprecedented heat, droughts, and altered storm patterns.
Government advice on food supplies
Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle told the Guardian that El Nino would lead to "more extreme storms in this country." The government website shared advice as people were told to "stock up" on supplies ahead of winter.
Advice on the government website said: "Secondary effects of El Nino on global food supply chains have the potential to reduce yields and drive up prices, particularly in regions with already low food security."
The UK could experience higher prices for products such as rice and certain tropical commodities like cocoa and coffee, but precise effects remain difficult to predict.
Five food items to stock up on
According to BBC News, senior nutrition scientist Dr Sammie Gill from the British Nutrition Foundation shared the food groups to keep in your cupboard. These are:
- Complex carbohydrates - including wheat biscuits, bread, wholegrain cereals, crackers, oats, rice and pasta.
- Proteins - canned chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, unsalted nuts, peanut butter and canned fish like tuna or sardines.
- Tinned fruit - a budget-friendly staple providing vitamins and minerals.
- Pickled foods - such as vegetables and eggs, full of minerals, vitamins and good bacteria.
- Long-life milk - found in the non-refrigerated aisle, lasting longer and providing protein and calcium.
Rebecca McManamon, a consultant dietitian, said tinned fruit, pickled foods and long-life milk are cupboard essentials.
Energy and weather impact
Changing weather patterns caused by El Nino could increase global demand for liquified natural gas (LNG), adding pressure to a market already facing uncertainty from the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts. The government website noted: "The UK currently has a sufficient energy buffer for the coming winter but the effects of El Nino remain uncertain: Europe could be particularly vulnerable to rising prices and increased global competition for energy supplies, such as LNG."
According to the Met Office, an El Nino is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific rise 0.5C above the long-term average. The Met Office said El Nino could increase the chances of "wetter and stormier" weather, stating: "The current El Nino is unprecedented in terms of its strength at present and various seasonal modelling centres predict further strengthening over the next couple of months, with a predicted peak in November of December. For the UK, El Nino increases the chances of a wetter and stormier late autumn and early winter period, which would also likely be milder than normal."
