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| Storms threaten return of floods to England and Wales | Storms threaten return of floods to England and Wales |
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| Torrential downpours from severe thunderstorms are threatening to bring flooding back to England and Wales on Saturday, according to a warning issued by the Environment Agency on Thursday. Both river flooding and flash flooding are feared, with only Devon, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire exempt from the risk. | |
| The warning, along with an extreme weather warning from the Met Office, comes as Reading University scientists revealed that January to May was the wettest start to a year in over a century of their records. The winter of 2013-14 was the wettest for at least 250 years. | The warning, along with an extreme weather warning from the Met Office, comes as Reading University scientists revealed that January to May was the wettest start to a year in over a century of their records. The winter of 2013-14 was the wettest for at least 250 years. |
| “Heavy rain with isolated torrential downpours may bring some river and surface water flooding on Saturday,” the EA warned. “Urban areas and small rivers are most likely to be affected. Flooding of properties and parts of communities is possible as well as disruption to travel.” | |
| The Met Office said: “The public should be aware of the potential for localised flooding due to the intensity of these storms, although at this stage the location of the heaviest rainfall is uncertain.” | The Met Office said: “The public should be aware of the potential for localised flooding due to the intensity of these storms, although at this stage the location of the heaviest rainfall is uncertain.” |
| Hannah Cloke, a flooding expert at the University of Reading, said: “The [flash flooding] problem is likely to be exacerbated in areas where the ground is still wet from the winter floods, particularly in catchments with high groundwater levels and where rivers are still high following Britain’s wettest winter ever.” | Hannah Cloke, a flooding expert at the University of Reading, said: “The [flash flooding] problem is likely to be exacerbated in areas where the ground is still wet from the winter floods, particularly in catchments with high groundwater levels and where rivers are still high following Britain’s wettest winter ever.” |
| She said: “When it rains very heavily, almost anywhere could be at risk. Extremely intense bursts of rain can mean that the soil is simply unable to soak up the water fast enough, so excess water runs off and causes floods in all sorts of unexpected places.” | She said: “When it rains very heavily, almost anywhere could be at risk. Extremely intense bursts of rain can mean that the soil is simply unable to soak up the water fast enough, so excess water runs off and causes floods in all sorts of unexpected places.” |
| In December, the EA published new maps showing 3m properties in England are at risk from flash flooding, including No10 Downing Street. When river and coastal flooding is taken into account, 5m homes are at risk. Intense downpours are becoming more common, according to the Met Office, and when water overwhelms the drains, it leads to flash flooding, also called surface water flooding. | In December, the EA published new maps showing 3m properties in England are at risk from flash flooding, including No10 Downing Street. When river and coastal flooding is taken into account, 5m homes are at risk. Intense downpours are becoming more common, according to the Met Office, and when water overwhelms the drains, it leads to flash flooding, also called surface water flooding. |
| The cause of the predicted storms is a low pressure system sitting off the west coast of Ireland which is pulling in warm, humid air from France. “This is the perfect recipe for an explosive thunderstorm,” said Rob Thompson, a meteorologist at the University of Reading. | The cause of the predicted storms is a low pressure system sitting off the west coast of Ireland which is pulling in warm, humid air from France. “This is the perfect recipe for an explosive thunderstorm,” said Rob Thompson, a meteorologist at the University of Reading. |
| Continuous weather records at Reading go back to 1908, and from January to May recorded 462 mm of rain, 25mm more than any other year. The January to May period was also the third warmest start to a year on record. | Continuous weather records at Reading go back to 1908, and from January to May recorded 462 mm of rain, 25mm more than any other year. The January to May period was also the third warmest start to a year on record. |
| Climate change is increasing the risk of flooding in England and previous research showed that severe floods as long ago as 2000 were made twice as likely by global warming. The coalition government cut annual flood defence spending by a quarter on entering office. While spending has been increased since, it remains below 2010 levels. | Climate change is increasing the risk of flooding in England and previous research showed that severe floods as long ago as 2000 were made twice as likely by global warming. The coalition government cut annual flood defence spending by a quarter on entering office. While spending has been increased since, it remains below 2010 levels. |
| Lord Krebs, of the government's official advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, told the Guardian in February that ministers had been clearly warned of the consequences of the cuts. "The bottom line is that the Environment Agency said loud and clear that if we are going to keep the risk of flooding at the current level, we need an extra £500m during the spending period from 2011 to 2015." | Lord Krebs, of the government's official advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, told the Guardian in February that ministers had been clearly warned of the consequences of the cuts. "The bottom line is that the Environment Agency said loud and clear that if we are going to keep the risk of flooding at the current level, we need an extra £500m during the spending period from 2011 to 2015." |