Supermarket shoppers in England urged to buy milk before Friday
More snow is set to hit the UK this Friday and with it comes the risk of shortages, especially in remote and hilly areas where snow is most likely to fall.Supermarket shoppers in England and Scotland are being urged to buy milk as well as bread as a shortage caused by snow has already caused chaos in one part of the UK in January - and more snow forecasts are on the way.The Met Office's weather maps show snow is set to return to much of Scotland and the north of England from this Friday, including key areas such as Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Derbyshire and most of northern and central Scotland.It comes just days after a clutch of yellow and amber weather warnings caused problems across much of the UK due to Storm Chandra.According to reports in local newspaper The Press and Journal, shoppers struggled to buy milk or bread in Aberdeenshire on January 6, when heavy snow fell in that part of Scotland, with one local quoted as saying: “There was no bread or milk in shops yesterday”, following six days of snowstorms.There, local business Forest Farm - The Organic Dairy posted that it was giving away emergency milk supplies in the local community hall as shops struggled to stock the key staple.It said: “Please help yourself, but we would be grateful if these could go to those who most need [them].“The milk is whole (“full fat”) and freshly pasteurised on our farm.”Another site, Evening Express, reported that shoppers faced ‘empty shelves’ in stores in Aberdeenshire, with fresh bread and milk supplies quickly wiped out.And this week, the Met Office is forecasting more snow from about 3am on Friday.Those in the affected areas should not panic buy, but making sure you have fresh food supplies like milk and bread in the house is good preparation - as those in Aberdeenshire are now finding out.British Gas says in its guide on preparing for heavy snow: “It’s a good habit to have at least three days’ worth of food and essentials stored in an easy-to-reach part of your home. That’s things like medicines, drinking water, non-perishable food and snacks, and extra blankets. You should also keep a torch, batteries and a phone charger close by too.”The Met Office says in its latest forecast for Thursday to Sunday: "Staying unsettled with further showers or longer spells of rain, particularly in the southwest and eastern Scotland. Some drier interludes too, particularly in the east. Feeling chilly in brisk winds."
