Shoppers issued price hike warning over coffee, rice and fruit
Brits have been warned to expect rising food prices as the world braces for an unprecedented El Nino weather event. The event, which is declared when sea temperatures in the tropical eastern Pacific reach 0.5C above the long-term average, will be "the largest since the 19th century", according to the Met Office.
TL;DR
- An unprecedented El Nino event is predicted, expected to be the largest since the 19th century.
- This will cause droughts in tropical regions, Africa, and Australia, while the UK will experience wet and stormy weather.
- Rising food prices are expected in the UK for imported products like fruit, coffee, tea, and rice.
- Vulnerable products include bananas, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and citrus fruits.
- Around a quarter of the UK's food by value and a third by volume comes from regions likely to be hit by El Nino.
- The event is anticipated to further push up global temperatures, with 2027 forecast to be the hottest year on record.
- The UK experienced its worst harvest in decades due to summer droughts and heatwaves.
- El Nino is expected to increase the likelihood of wetter, stormier conditions in the UK in the coming autumn and early winter.