Google Trends data shows a sharp spike in searches for emergency essentials in the UK after the government released a new “Be Ready” checklist, urging households to prepare for three days of disruption.
Searches for emergency kits, emergency candles and wind-up radios surged in October, while queries about how to build a bunker also recorded a sharp spike, according to Google Trends data for the UK. The figures suggest growing public interest in emergency preparedness following the government’s guidance.
According to Google Trends, searches for “emergency kit” reached a peak interest score of 100 on October 23, marking a 180% increase compared with the preceding three months and a 450% rise compared with the same period last year.
Searches for “emergency candles” also hit a peak score of 100 on October 25, recording a breakout of more than 5,000% compared with the preceding three months and the same period last year.
Queries for “wind up radio” reached a score of 100 on October 23, while searches for “how to build a bunker” recorded a similar peak on October 25, with interest rising by more than 5,000% compared with the preceding three months.
{{/usCountry}}Queries for “wind up radio” reached a score of 100 on October 23, while searches for “how to build a bunker” recorded a similar peak on October 25, with interest rising by more than 5,000% compared with the preceding three months.
{{/usCountry}}Google Trends scores are indexed on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest relative search interest during the selected period. A breakout indicates an increase of more than 5,000%.
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UK government's ‘Be Ready’ campaign
The UK government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign encourages households to take practical steps to prepare for emergencies that could disrupt everyday life, including flooding, wildfires, power cuts and interruptions to water supplies.
According to a report by The Independent, the initiative forms part of a three-year drive to improve household emergency preparedness. The updated guidance advises people to put together an emergency kit containing the essentials they and their families may need during a short-term incident lasting up to three days.
The recommended supplies include bottled water, non-perishable food such as tinned goods, essential medicines, a torch, a battery-powered or wind-up radio and some cash. The aim is to help households manage if access to electricity, water or other everyday services is temporarily disrupted.
The guidance is not intended to prepare people for an end-of-the-world scenario but to help them cope with emergencies and interruptions to essential services.