As the Super El Niño weather event ramps up, Brits have been urged to stockpile food.

Dame Angela Eagle, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told The Guardian: 'If you've got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you're going to be a lot better off than if you haven't.'

So, what items should you be stocking up on?

According to Professor Elizabeth Robinson, an environmental economist at the London School of Economics, households should keep two weeks' worth of non-perishable foods and water stored at home. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail, she advised: 'In terms of which items Brits might consider stocking up on, grains such as pasta and rice, tinned foods including some that do not need heating in case of a power cut.

'Definitely items that you can combine to make a tasty and nutritious meal, so maybe tins of beans or pulses, fish or meat, vegetables, some tinned fruits, and UHT or powdered milk. And of course water.'

The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a naturally occurring climate cycle that shifts between hot El Niño years and cool La Niña years once every two to seven years.

As we enter an El Niño phase, the powerful trade winds that normally blow hot water across the Pacific towards Australia weaken, or even reverse.

That prevents cool waters welling up from the deep ocean below and causes hot water to collect near the surface off the west coast of South America.

Eventually, that warm water starts to spread out, raising the average global temperature and causing major disruptions to weather patterns around the globe.

While the UK just experienced its hottest summer on record, scientists predict devastating storms will batter Britain from October, before temperatures plummet this winter. 

To prepare for this extreme weather, Defra is urging Brits to stockpile food.  

On the government website, a 'household emergency plan' reveals a list of nine 'emergency supplies'.

According to the government, you'll need a battery or wind-up torch, a portable power bank, a battery or wind-up radio, and spare batteries.

In addition, your emergency kit should include a first aid kit, wet wipes and hand sanitiser, bottled water, non-perishable food that does not require cooking, and a tin opener.

Finally, if you have a baby, your kit should include supplies like nappies and formula.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Professor Robinson agreed that it 'definitely makes sense' for Brits to stock up amid the Super El Niño. 

'In general, it definitely makes sense for those households that can afford it to have a week or two of non-perishable foods and water stored at home, in case of any food emergency, whether due to a pandemic, conflict, or weather shock such as could be caused by the growing El Niño,' she said.

'But the government cannot abdicate responsibility for ensuring that the country as a whole is resilient to shocks that affect access to food. 

'This might include diversified sourcing, buffer stocks for critical staples, robust monitoring and early warning systems, and safety nets for the most vulnerable households.'

Professor Robinson added that El Niño could send the cost of your weekly shop soaring.

She explained: 'In the UK we are highly dependent on imported fruits and vegetables, and we have already seen how weather extremes in places like Spain and north Africa can lead to shortages and higher prices. 

'More broadly, rice, coffee, cocoa, tea, could all be more costly; animal feed prices are likely to increase considerably, affecting the affordability of meat and dairy; and domestic production could be affected, again pushing up food prices.'