UK households urged to fill freezers before Saturday | Weather | News
Households across the UK are being urged to stock their freezers before Saturday to prepare for possible power outages as severe weather is expected.
The Met Office has issued a yellow national severe weather warning for heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday; The conditions were expected to lead to travel disruption, difficult driving conditions, possible power outages and possible flooding, while some rural communities were at risk of power outages due to flooded roads. The national forecaster said an area of low pressure would move across the southern and central parts of the UK on Saturday, bringing heavy showers and strong winds, particularly in southern England, Wales and the Midlands. The yellow warning will be in effect from 6am to 11.59pm on Saturday and households are urged to prepare their homes for possible flooding and power outages.
Met Office advice suggests packing flashlights, batteries, mobile phone power supply and other essential items in case the power goes out. But experts recommend another important step to prepare for power outages; That’s keeping your freezer stocked.
A full freezer is much more energy efficient than an empty one and is better equipped to stay cold during a power outage. This is because frozen food essentially creates a solid thermal mass that retains cold temperature for much longer.
When there is less free space in your freezer, it becomes harder for warm air to circulate, so the temperature inside rises more slowly and food items insulate each other, helping to maintain cold temperatures longer.
During a power outage, a full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours, while a half-full freezer can only maintain its temperature for about 24 hours.
at Anthony Mellor Swinton Home Insurance It urges households to focus on their freezers this winter to be prepared for possible power outages and save money on energy bills in the process.
He said: “Ice buildup causes your freezer’s motor to work harder and longer to maintain its temperature, consuming more electricity. In contrast, a defrosted freezer operates more efficiently and consumes less energy. To keep your machine working well, defrost when frost buildup covers a large area and exceeds 0.6cm thick.”
“Keeping your freezer full is also more energy efficient than an empty one. A full freezer minimizes the amount of warm air that can get in when you open the freezer door, plus the frozen contents help cool the hot air that gets in. This means less energy is required to bring the temperature back down.
“If that wasn’t a big enough incentive, according to the Food Standards Agency, if you have a catastrophic power outage, a half-full freezer can keep food safely for 24 hours, but if it’s full, double that time.”
UK areas covered by a yellow warning for rain on Saturday where possible power outages could occur include:
East Midlands
- derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- lincolnshire
- northamptonshire
- nottingham
- nottinghamshire
- Rutland
east of england
- bedford
- cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- essex
- hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- peterborough
- Suffolk
London and South East England
- Bracknell Forest
- buckinghamshire
- Greater London
- hampshire
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- Reading
- mud
- southampton
- surrey
- West Berkshire
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- wokingham
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Cornwall
- Devon
- dorset
- Gloucestershire
- Isles of Scilly
- North Somerset
- plymouth
- somersett
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Torbay
- wiltshire
Wales
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- caerphilly
- Cardiff
- carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Merthyr Tydfil
- monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- newport
- pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- swansea
- Torfaen
- Valley of Glamorgan
West Midlands
- herefordshire
- shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- warwickshire
- West Midlands Urbanization
- Worcestershire
Yorkshire and the Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Kingston upon Hull
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
- south yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
