The Met Office has alerted Brits to prepare for a change in weather by charging their mobile devices.
It's an odd thing to suggest, and probably one of the last things you'd consider if the weather (inevitably) decided to suddenly switch up across the UK - which doesn't really happen, right?
We're all hoping for the past week or so of sunny weather, tees, shorts and beer gardens to stretch into August, but that sadly isn't the case for much longer, according to the Met Office.
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Unluckily for all the people looking forward to the numerous music festivals across the UK over the next month or so, it might be worth bringing a poncho along with you, and a fully charged phone.
But that's usually a given - because who really leaves their house without their phone on 100 percent?
It's not so you can stay across social media alerts though, as it has been advised that from this weekend (17 and 18 August), you should do it for health and safety reasons.
What has the Met Office said?
I know, the sky high temperatures just earlier this week sold a dream, but the Met Office have now issued a flood warning to UK residents, so we can probably cancel any outdoor plans we had planned for the next couple of weeks.
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Monday was the hottest day of the year so far, with Cambridge reaching a high of 34.8C, but a 'twist' in the Atlantic jet stream is about to change all of that as milder and wetter weather will be coming to our shores soon, which signals a 'changeable' forecast.
Why should I charge my phone in case of a flood?
It seems that one of the most important things you can do is to ensure your phone is on 100 percent, and it's because of the possibility of power cuts.
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In an statement given to The Express, The Met Office advised: “Check the flood advice in your area to know when and where flooding will happen. Charge mobile phone devices. People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance and it's easy to do."
"The essentials that could help you cope with a power cut are: battery candles, torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack," they further explain, highlighting that a phone can not only update you on the status of the power outage, but allows you to call for help if necessary.
The advice added: “If your power goes out these simple steps can help you deal with the situation: Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
“Leave a light on, so you know when the power cut has been fixed.
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“Check to see if your neighbours are safe and if they have a power cut too. If they have power, your trip switch may have activated.”
On top of this, there is a lot more than can be done in preparation for a possible flood near you.
What else can you do to prepare for a flood?
There are some easy-to-do precautions that you can take to prepare for the possibility of a flood and power outage:
- If you have medical equipment that is reliant on electricity to run, contact your Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DNO), so that you can be put on their Priority Register for assistance during possible power outages.
- Have plenty of torches at hand, with extra batteries as well.
- Make sure your phone is charged so you can call authorities in case of an emergency.
- Don't open your fridges and freezers and put a blanket over them, allowing them to stay cold for hours.
- Make sure you know where your important documents are, and that they are safe.
- Keep an eye out for elderly neighbours to make sure that they are also prepared for any possible power cuts.
- Turn off appliances such as irons, ovens, electric fires and fryers, as they can be a hazard if the power returns and you aren't there.
- If you have poor or no mobile signal, don't have a phone or use a digital landline, contact your communications provider to see what support they can offer prior to an outage.
Joshua Nair