Communities are being urged to prepare for flooding this winter with the Environment Agency warning of ‘ignoring the danger at your own peril’.
Flood Action Week
Amid increased extreme weather events brought on by the climate emergency, the Environment Agency is launching an awareness campaign – Flood Action Week – to encourage those who live in areas at risk of flooding to act now to protect their home, possessions and family.
This year alone, the UK experienced its highest ever recorded temperatures, as the Met Office confirmed that England had its joint hottest summer on record with much of the country still struggling with drought.
Looking ahead to this winter, although the Met Office says the chance of wet and windy weather increases as we go through the season, unexpected flooding could occur at any time and communities are being warned not to be complacent following this summer’s dry weather.
Six of the ten wettest years on record
Since 1998 we have seen six of the ten wettest years on record and this year for the first time ever saw three named storms in one week.
One of the key messages coming from COP27, which is currently underway in Egypt this week, is that we must plan and prepare for increasingly extreme events.
As we have seen across the globe, the effects of climate change are becoming clearer, with wildfires raging across Europe; China experiencing its worst heatwave in decades; and devastating floods in Pakistan ripping through communities killing more than 1500 people and displacing millions.
This Flood Action Week (7-13 November) the Environment Agency is urging people to take three simple steps: