Severe Weather, Flooding, Drought
Extreme weather conditions come under the jurisdiction of the Met Office [External website]
The Environment Agency [External website] is the lead for flooding and drought in England and Wales, with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency [External website].
On this page:
The level of risk
The weather and its impacts are seldom far from our lives. Around 5 million people, in 2 million properties, for example, live in flood risk areas in England and Wales. And of course, the whole of the UK is at risk of severe weather. It will never be technically, environmentally, or economically possible to prevent flooding or severe weather entirely.
Instead, the UK Government seeks to manage the risk through better early warning, improved defences, and enhanced education and awareness etc. The Environment Agency [External website], which reports to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) [External website], and the Met Office (a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence) [External website], have important roles in warning people about the risk of severe weather and flooding, and in reducing the likelihood of flooding from rivers and the sea.
The types of severe weather and flooding conditions that the UK Government uses for contingency planning purposes are severe storms and gales, persistent low temperatures and heavy snow, heat waves, and major flooding (coastal, tidal and fluvial at local and national scales).
Examples
The table below shows some examples of the specific risks which are assessed as part of the national risk assessment framework. The framework applies locally, regionally, in the devolved administrations and at the UK level. Details of the framework and risk assessment methodology can be found in the risk section of this site.
Risk Evaluation
| Type of Risk | Risk Categories | Outcome Description for Planning Purposes |
|---|
| Hazard |
Storms and Gales |
Storm force winds affecting most of the country for at least 6 hours. Most inland, lowland areas experience mean speeds in excess of 55 mph with gusts in excess of 85 mph. |
|---|
| Hazard |
Low temperatures and heavy snow |
Snow lying over most of the country for at least one month. Most lowland areas experience some snow falls in excess of 30 cm, some drifts in excess of 1m, and a period of at least 7 consecutive days with daily mean temperatures below -30C. |
|---|
| Hazard |
Localised coastal/tidal flooding |
Sea surge, high tides, gale force winds affecting the coastline and one Region, some defences overtopped or failing at a single location. Localised impact with infrastructure affected and up to 1000 properties flooded. Flood warning service would operate effectively. Multi-agency response invoked with some local evacuation and cordoning off of affected areas. Impact on infrastructure includes disruption to traffic for 1-3 days, impact on access to agricultural land and impact to infrastructure e.g. sewage treatment works flooded. |
|---|
Flooding
The Pitt Review - Learning Lessons from the 2007 floods
This review, which is being led by the Cabinet Office, will study the emergency response to the floods in June and July 2007 and look at ways to reduce the risk and impact of flooding in future. Sir Michael Pitt, the independent chair overseeing the review, welcomes comments, ideas and suggestions from all sections of the community regarding the review, as well as feedback on the experiences of those affected by the floods.
Flood Alerts
- Telephone Floodline 0845 988 1188 - For information on flooding in England, Wales and Scotland.
- REGIONAL INFORMATION - Listen to local radio, and check ITV Teletext page 160 and BBC CEEFAX pages 437 and 438. All are updated frequently.
Flood Information
- Environment Agency Flood advice guides
- Environment Agency: Managing Flood Risk [External website] with information on what makes a flood happen, managing flood water, forecasting and warning, when a flood happens, and into the future - climate change, new technology and training
Advice for Local Authorities, Businesses and Organisations
- Flood Support microsite [External website] - Includes a flood simulator, case studies, flood support fact sheets and a FAQ.
- Flood preparation guide for business [External website] - This guide will give you valuable information on developing your own flood plan, and how to be better prepared in the event of a flood situation.
- Online Flood Library [External website] - All the Environment Agency's flood literature in one place.
Severe Weather
Heatwave
Guidance
Weather Forecasts
Climate Change
- Defra - Climate Change [External website] - information on climate change, what causes it, how the world and the UK could be affected, what is being done to tackle the effects of climate change, and how industry, businesses, and individuals can do their bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Tyndall Centre [External website] - scientists, economists, engineers and social scientists, working to develop sustainable responses to climate change.
Drought and Water Resources
- Environment Agency: Water Resources [External website] - Includes: the water resources situation, groundwater, understanding water needs of the environment, Savewater, the demand management bulletin, water resources planning guidelines, water company drought plans, securing water supply, and water resources for the future.
Training
- The Emergency Planning College (EPC) [External website] is the leading provider of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident. The EPC runs courses on emergencies in severe weather as well as other aspects of civil protection:
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