The short answer
If a war involving the UK began, the most useful thing you can do is follow official instructions. Watch for Emergency Alerts on your phone, listen to local or national radio, and check GOV.UK and your council. If told to, 'go in, stay in, tune in'. If the authorities ask you to evacuate, go straight away. Check on family using a plan you agreed in advance, and use the cash and supplies you already have rather than queuing. The government's risk register says the likely effects include disruption to power, water, phones, transport and shops, which a 3-day kit is built for.
First, what this page is and isn't
This is not a prediction. No UK official has said a war is expected (see is WW3 likely?). This is a practical plan for the first three days if one began, so you know what you'd do. Our guide to preparing for war in the UK covers what to do before.
The UK government's public advice for any emergency is to follow official instructions. The National Risk Register 2026 describes what an attack on the UK might disrupt: energy, water, food, health, transport, communications and money services. Most of the steps below are about coping with that disruption.
Hour 0 to 1: get official information
- Phone alerts. GOV.UK Emergency Alerts sound a loud, siren-like alarm for about 10 seconds, even on silent. Stop what you're doing and follow the instructions. If you're driving, pull over somewhere safe first.
- Radio and TV. The National Risk Register says to check local radio and TV, and official websites and social media of your council, government agencies and the emergency services.
- Go in, stay in, tune in. If you're asked to, go indoors, stay there and listen for updates. The register says that unless there's an obvious risk to the building, going inside is often the safest thing to do.
- 999 for danger to life. If your landline is down, call 999 or 112 from a mobile (Be Ready).
Don't share rumours. The register warns that online information can be misleading. Pass on only what comes from official sources.
Hours 1 to 6: family and home
- Check in with family using a plan you agreed in advance: who calls whom, and where you'd meet if phones are down. Texts often get through when calls don't. See reaching family when the network is down.
- Schools and care. Follow what your child's school or the care provider says. Don't rely on social media.
- Charge everything while you have power: phones, power banks, torches.
- Fill a few containers with water if supply might be affected, and keep using the taps normally until told otherwise.
- Check on neighbours who live alone or need extra help.
Hours 6 to 24: settle in
- Use what you have. Be Ready's 3-day kit is built for this: water, food that needs no cooking, a torch, an FM radio, a power bank, cash, medicines and documents.
- Don't queue for things you already have. Shops, fuel stations and cash machines may be busy. Leave them for people who need them now.
- Cash. Card payments may not work if power or networks are down. Be Ready suggests keeping a mix of coins and notes.
- Medicines. Know how many days you have. Order repeat prescriptions in the usual way if you can.
- If the power goes: keep the fridge and freezer shut. The Food Standards Agency says a fridge stays cold for up to 4 hours and a full freezer for about 48 hours.
Should you stay or leave?
| Situation | What official advice says |
|---|---|
| Told to stay indoors | Go in, stay in, tune in |
| Told to evacuate | Leave. The register says don't delay: delaying puts you and responders at risk |
| Building on fire or badly damaged | Get out. It's never safe to go back into a building on fire |
| Rumours online, no official instruction | Stay put and check official sources |
More on this in stay put or leave?
Days 2 to 3: routine and calm
- Keep listening at set times, for example on the hour, rather than all day. It saves batteries and helps with stress.
- Eat fridge food first, then frozen, then tins and dry food (FSA order).
- Look after your mind. Limit news, keep a routine for children, and talk. Our post on coping with worry about war has ideas.
- Help if you can. The register says the public can play a vital role by calling 999, giving first aid and supporting others while help arrives.
The one thing to do today
Agree a family plan: who you'd call, where you'd meet, and where the cash, torch and radio are. It takes ten minutes and works for floods, storms and power cuts too.
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Battery or wind-up FM radio
Look for: FM (Be Ready asks for FM; DAB as well is fine). Both a crank and ordinary batteries, so you have two ways to power it.
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Power bank
Look for: From a seller you know. Check the capacity (mAh) against your phone, and that you have the right cable for each phone. Keep it charged.
Waterproof document wallet or resealable bags
Look for: Big enough for copies of passports, insurance details and medicine lists.
- Waterproof Document Pouch - Translucent PVC · EVAQ8 · £5.11 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if war breaks out in the UK?
Follow official instructions. The National Risk Register 2026 says to pay attention to official sources such as local authorities, government agencies, emergency services and Emergency Alerts on your phone, and to check local radio and TV. You may be asked to 'go in, stay in and tune in'. If the authorities ask you to evacuate, don't delay.
How would the government warn us?
GOV.UK's Emergency Alerts can send a loud, siren-like alert to phones in an area, even on silent, for about 10 seconds. You don't need location services turned on. The emergency services also use other ways to warn people who don't have a compatible phone. Radio, TV and official websites would carry instructions.
Should I stay at home or leave?
Unless there is an obvious risk to the building, the National Risk Register says going inside and getting more information is often the safest thing to do. Leave if the authorities tell you to, or if your building is on fire or badly damaged. Don't set off on long journeys on rumours.
What happens if the UK goes to war?
The government's National Risk Register 2026 describes a reasonable worst-case scenario of an attack on the UK mainland with missiles and cyber operations, leading NATO allies to invoke Article 5. It lists likely disruption to energy, water, food, health, transport, communications and financial services. It says its scenarios are not predictions.
Is there a UK government guide for war?
Not a separate public one. Be Ready covers 18 hazards, from storms to cyber attacks and terrorism, but not war as its own topic. The National Risk Register says the government has announced a Home Defence Programme to align military and civilian planning.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- Cabinet Office: National Risk Register 2026 (PDF, published 14 July 2026): 'During an emergency' (Chapter 3) and 'Conventional attack on the UK mainland or Overseas Territories' (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK: Emergency Alerts (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be informed about hazards ('Go in, Stay in and Tune in') (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (checklist) (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: power cuts (105, 999 and 112 from a mobile) (read 1 November 2026)
- Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK): Food safety in a power cut (read 1 November 2026)
Related guides
- Worried about war? How UK households can prepare — calmly
- UK Emergency Alerts: a calm guide
- Which radio station to listen to in a power cut
- How to make a household emergency plan (UK template)
- How much cash should I keep at home?
Free tools
- Make a household emergency plan (free)
- Be Ready kit: every item on the official list as a tick list
- Emergency cash calculator
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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