Snow is forecast which often leads to panic buying essentials at supermarkets (Image: Getty)
Supermarket shoppers buying essentials including milk, bread, eggs and toilet rolls have been issued a warning as for Friday.
An 18-hour yellow is in force tomorrow as the UK braces for a “multi-hazard event” as hits the country.
has warned that a major change in the UK’s weather will start on Thursday as a powerful jet stream pushes low pressure across the Atlantic, bringing heavy rain, snow and strong winds up to 90mph to the UK.
A top-level with a risk to life has been issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Friday morning, while an amber alert covers northern England, southern Scotland and North Wales where gusts of up to 70mph are expected inland.
There is also a risk of snow over Northern Ireland, northern England and Scotland on Friday morning, with possible blizzard conditions over higher ground due to the strong winds.
The national forecaster says snow and rain are “additional hazards” brought about by the storm with the potential to cause travel disruption, power cuts and flooding in some areas.
chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Storm Éowyn is a multi-hazard event, with snow likely for some, rain for many and strong winds for much of the UK. As a result, a number of weather warnings have been issued, with all parts of the UK covered by one warning at some point on Friday.
“Storm Éowyn is expected to cross Northern Ireland early on Friday morning. It will then continue northeast across the northern half of Scotland during Friday afternoon and is expected to be centred near Shetland during Friday evening.
“It’s important to note that even those away from the immediate Red Warning areas will still likely see disruptive weather, with travel plans likely to be severely impacted, as well as the possibility of power cuts for some.”
With hazardous and snowy conditions forecast this week, shoppers have a tendency to rush out to supermarkets to panic buy essentials, with consumer retail experts saying the most commonly bought items in such weather are always bread, milk, eggs and toilet rolls.
Experts told CNN: “With every predicted blizzard, there’s a mad dash to load up on milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper. Sure, there are some variations, including booze, snack foods and even ice cream. Yet these items are the first to disappear from store shelves when the dreaded s-word is mentioned.”
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In 2018 when the infamous Beast from the East snow storm hit the UK, we reported how shoppers stripped shelves of bread and milk, with the big freeze even seeing some take items straight from delivery vans in a mad panic.
One social media user reported chaotic scenes on Twitter (now X) at the time, writing: “Local Co-op out of milk and bread. Apparently there was a delivery this morning and people were literally taking it from the driver before he’d got it into the shop.”
Another wrote: “It’s snowing here and I’ve just been out to watch the panic buying brigade 20 milk and 14 loaves battling it out in those trolleys like chariots and battering rams. I also noticed the price of the basics suddenly shot up 5p in some cases. Sheer profiteering as the snow has hardly settled.”
But why does panic buying these items happen? Author and anthropologist Sharon Wolfgang explains: “Now, why do people buy milk and bread when they expect snow? (And they actually do; I’ve often seen supermarket bread sections completely empty the day before a predicted storm.)
“Two reasons, I think. First, those are two basic foods that most people want to have on hand all the time, especially if they have children. Heavy snow makes it hard to go to the store, so people make sure they get a supply of the basics while they can.”
At the moment there are no confirmations of any shortages of bread, milk or eggs in major supermarkets like Tesco, Morrisons or Sainsbury’s, but shoppers could end up creating some if they panic buy due to the weather. So if you’re popping to the shop, stick to buying just one item and don’t stockpile 20 loaves and 16 pints, or you’ll actually create the problem.