20 March 2025
New version of Adverse Weather and Health Plan added
The UK Health Security Agency has added a new version of the Adverse Weather and Health Plan to its GOV.UK page, in an update dated 20 March 2025, covering England.
UK Preparedness news
We cover news from public bodies and utility companies for UK households on power cuts, weather, water, health, safety and security. Each report includes the date and sources, with links to our guides.
March 2025
February 2025
3 February 2025
NFCC says UK not fully prepared for impacts of climate change
The National Fire Chiefs Council has published a climate change position statement calling on the UK and devolved governments to act urgently so fire services and local partners can protect…
January 2025
23 January 2025
Emergency Alerts issued ahead of Storm Éowyn
The Cabinet Office issued Emergency Alerts to about 4.5 million people in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on 23 January 2025, ahead of a red wind warning for Storm Éowyn.
15 January 2025
Major incident declared and Welsh Government activates civil contingencies response
The Welsh Government activated its civil contingencies response on the evening of Wednesday 15 January after a burst water main near Dolgarrog, Conwy, affected supplies to up to 40,000 properties.
6 January 2025
Major incidents declared over flooding in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire
Major incidents were declared in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire on 6 January 2025 after widespread flooding, as the Met Office issued further snow and ice warnings across large parts of the UK.
1 January 2025
Updated national coastal erosion risk map published
The Environment Agency has published an updated national coastal erosion risk map showing that 3,500 properties in England are at risk of coastal erosion by 2055.
December 2024
19 December 2024
Adverse Weather and Health Plan published for England
The UK Health Security Agency has published the Adverse Weather and Health Plan for England, combining the previous Heatwave Plan for England and Cold Weather Plan for England into a single annual…
7 December 2024
Major Incident declared in Dyfed and Powys during Storm Darragh
A major incident was declared in Dyfed and Powys on 7 December 2024 after a 132kV fault cut supply to key services during Storm Darragh, which affected 181,059 customers.
7 December 2024
Major incident declared by Dyfed-Powys Police during Storm Darragh
Dyfed-Powys Police declared a major incident covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys during Storm Darragh on 6 and 7 December 2024, with many fallen trees and over 2.3 million…
6 December 2024
Government emergency alert issued ahead of Storm Darragh
Several million people received a government emergency alert on their mobile phones on the evening of Friday 6 December 2024, giving advice about Storm Darragh as it approached the UK.
1 December 2024
LAS agrees 999 Winter Plan for 2024 with NHS partners
London Ambulance Service has agreed its 999 Winter Plan for 2024 with NHS partners, adding more than 10 per cent more ambulances and control room staff and up to 60 extra ambulances at peak times.
November 2024
24 November 2024
Major incident declared in Rhondda Cynon Taf as Storm Bert flooding hits south Wales
A major incident was declared in Rhondda Cynon Taf after Storm Bert brought severe flooding to south Wales, with hundreds of homes, businesses and schools affected and flood warnings still in force…
October 2024
23 October 2024
Met Office launches WeatherReady winter campaign
The Met Office has launched its WeatherReady winter campaign with survey results showing almost half of people in the UK were caught out unexpectedly by severe weather in the past year.
September 2024
1 September 2024
Floods Resilience Taskforce established
The Floods Resilience Taskforce was established in September 2024, the government's 2026 implementation report of its Resilience Action Plan confirms, as part of work to strengthen the UK's resilience…
1 September 2024
Floods Resilience Taskforce launched by government
The government launched the Floods Resilience Taskforce in September 2024, bringing Defra ministers and officials together with public, private and third sector representatives to oversee national and…
July 2024
10 July 2024
Government launches prepare.campaign.gov.uk emergency preparedness website
The government has launched a website at prepare.campaign.gov.uk encouraging people in England to think about how they would respond to risks including floods, fires and power cuts.
May 2024
22 May 2024
Government launches new emergency preparedness website
The Deputy Prime Minister launched a new Government resilience website, www.gov.uk/prepare, on 22 May 2024 to increase public preparedness, including a new Volunteering Directory.
1 May 2024
Government published preparedness advice on GOV.UK/Prepare
In May 2024 the Government published advice for individuals, households and communities on preparing for emergencies, hosted on GOV.UK/Prepare.
February 2024
1 February 2024
Government issues battery safety guidance for e-scooter users
The Department for Transport has published battery safety guidance for e-scooter and e-cycle users, noting that fire services have reported a significant number of battery fires involving privately…
December 2023
13 December 2023
Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy publishes ransomware report
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy has published a report on ransomware and UK national security, saying the Government faces a high risk of a major attack and setting out…