People across Wiltshire are being urged to prepare for potentially severe winter as an unusually powerful El Niño threatens more extreme weather.
The climate phenomenon could lead to heavier rainfall, stronger storms and increased flooding risks in the months ahead, according to warnings from experts.
El Niño occurs when sea temperatures rise unusually in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, triggering changes in weather patterns around the world.
The government is organising a new emergency preparedness campaign in response.
Households are being encouraged to keep essential supplies such as tinned food in case extreme weather leaves people without power or water.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle urged people to think ahead about having these items available before emergency services can reach them during a major incident.
She said: "We’re about to experience probably the largest El Niño that has ever been seen, and that will lead to drier summers, wetter winters with more extreme storms in this country.
"If you’ve got a store of a bit of food that can keep you going for a while before the emergency services can get to you, you’re going to be a lot better off than if you haven’t."
Head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office Professor Adam Scaife described the forecast as an “unprecedented event”.
He said he had never seen an El Niño signal this intense in forecasts and warned that, if predictions prove accurate, 2026 could far exceed recent El Niño events.
The warning comes after a summer of extreme weather, with 2026 provisionally declared the UK's hottest summer on record.
Five widespread heatwaves were recorded, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees on 40 days.
The Met Office is also forecasting a warmer-than-average autumn, with unusually warm seas around the UK expected to contribute to higher land temperatures.
The extreme heat has also contributed to marine heatwaves, with sea temperatures around the UK reaching up to 5 degrees above normal in some areas.
Professor Stephen Belcher, the Met Office's chief of science and technology, said the major El Niño was a reminder that natural climate variations can add to the effects of climate change.
The Met Office is continuing to monitor the developing El Niño and run updated forecasts, while working with government departments to assess its potential impact.
Experts have said that major El Niño events can affect infrastructure, agriculture, health and energy supplies, with the effects lasting for several months.
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