Experts have warned that parts of Britain could face flood misery over the next three months as emergency planning is done to prevent a repeat of chaos last year
Brits face flood misery during a wetter-than-usual autumn, experts warned.
The Government’s Flood Resilience Taskforce will meet on Monday for crunch talks over flood planning and defences. Chief meteorologist Will Lang warned western and northern England were most at risk over the autumn.
But despite the expected deluge, drought conditions could continue into winter after a record-breaking dry and hot spring and summer. Caroline Douglass, executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, warned heavy rain on dry, hard soil is likely to cause flooding.
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She said: “As we head into autumn, we need to think about flood risk even though drought is still being felt in some parts of the country.” Ms Douglass added: “What we want is nice, steady, flowing rain that wets things up really nicely, not flood events, not a sudden rainfall everywhere.
“But we know it never works out like we’d like.” Improved flood protection plans are being rolled out to avoid a repeat of misery last year, when parts of the Midlands were battered by Storm Henk and the north east and south coast experienced flooding after Storm Kathleen and Storm Pierrick.
The Met Office and Environment Agency said the outlook for September, October and November shows a “higher likelihood” of wetter and windier conditions compared to the 30-year-average.
The new taskforce, set up last September to respond to increasingly extreme weather, is looking at warning systems and flood protections. Ms Douglass said more than 27,500 homes will have better protection following investment in 2024 and 2025, with the number rising to 52,000 by next March.
This is part of the Government’s £2.65billion investment over two years to boost flood defences across the country. But she warned people must take steps to make sure they are ready for flooding.
“We know we cannot prevent flooding in all scenarios,” she added. “We know that it can still happen, and we need to make sure that people are prepared.” Mr Lang said rainfall will likely “vary significantly across the regions”, with flood risks depending on various factors.
He said: “There is an increased likelihood of westerly weather patterns, which typically bring more rainfall to western and northern parts of the UK, while eastern and southern areas may experience drier conditions than the national average suggests.”
At the moment the North West, Yorkshire, East Midlands and West Midlands are in drought. Mr Lang said the amount of rainfall expected may not be enough to change that.
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