Britons urged to take ‘small steps’ to prepare for potential national crises

Ministers were warned in May that Britain’s vital supply chains were unprepared for the prospect of a major shock. Photograph: Hugh Hastings/Getty Images

The British public should begin taking “small but important steps” to secure and protect water, power supplies and basic phone signal in case of further severe weather emergencies, national crises or cyber-attacks, Downing Street has said.

Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the prime minister, told MPs “the risks we face from climate change cannot be underestimated”, and warned of the “significant and prolonged disruption to essential services” extreme weather events could cause.