Supermarket customers stocking up on essentials like milk, bread, eggs and toilet roll have been given a stark warning as , rain and winds are expected to hit parts of the country today.

Storm Éowyn has been described as a "multi-hazard event" by forecasters, with several warnings issued. As the forecast predicts hazardous conditions, it's common for shoppers to make a mad dash to to stock up on essentials.

experts say that the most frequently bought items in such weather are always bread, milk, eggs and toilet rolls. But people have been warned to avoid stockpiling so that there are no shortages in shops at the moment.

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Experts told CNN: "With every predicted blizzard, there's a mad dash to load up on milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper. Sure, there are some variations, including booze, snack foods and even ice cream. Yet these items are the first to disappear from store shelves when the dreaded s-word is mentioned."

Back in 2018, when the notorious Beast from the East snow storm hit the UK, shoppers cleared shelves of bread and milk, with the big freeze even leading some to snatch items straight from delivery vans in a frantic rush, reports . was abuzz with reports of chaos as the snow hit, with one user recounting: "Local out of milk and bread. Apparently there was a delivery this morning and people were literally taking it from the driver before he'd got it into the shop."

Another user chimed in with their observation of the frenzy: "It's snowing here and I've just been out to watch the panic buying brigade 20 milk and 14 loaves battling it out in those trolleys like chariots and battering rams. I also noticed the price of the basics suddenly shot up 5p in some cases. Sheer profiteering as the snow has hardly settled."

Anthropologist Sharon Wolfgang has shed a light on the stockpiling phenomenon: "Now, why do people buy milk and bread when they expect snow? (And they actually do; I've often seen supermarket bread sections completely empty the day before a predicted storm.) Two reasons, I think. First, those are two basic foods that most people want to have on hand all the time, especially if they have children. Heavy snow makes it hard to go to the store, so people make sure they get a supply of the basics while they can."

At the moment there are no confirmations of any shortages of bread, milk or eggs in major supermarkets like , or , but shoppers could end up creating some if they panic buy due to the weather. So if you're popping to the shop, stick to buying just one item and don't stockpile 20 loaves and 16 pints, or you'll actually create the problem.

Millions of people have been urged to stay at home as 100mph winds pose a danger to life and cause travel disruption across the UK. Rail services, flights and ferries have been axed, with rare red weather warnings in place on Friday in and Northern Ireland as Storm Éowyn batters the country. The storm is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts, according to the alerts.