Flood for thought

by Simon Handby in At home on 11.03.08

Coming as it does while the UK is getting hammered by yet another round of storms, a new report into last summer’s flooding could have made sobering reading. Instead, it brings hope that 2007’s torrential rains might have been a one-off, rather than the shape of things to come.

The report, by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), says that the floods weren’t a direct result of climate change, but the outcome of the extraordinary pattern of rain seen last year – ground already saturated by early summer rain simply couldn’t drain the unprecedented rainfall seen in June and July.

“Due to the inherent variability of the UK climate, any extreme hydrological event cannot readily be linked directly to climate change,” said the report’s lead author, Terry Marsh.

The report warns, though, that our habit of paving over drainage-providing soil and building on flood plains helped to magnify the impact of the ‘remarkable and outstanding’ flooding .

The CEH ought to know a thing or two. An offshoot of the Natural Environment Research Council, it aims to be a world leader in the study of freshwater ecosystems, and “to provide the scientific underpinning for solutions to environmental issues arising from global change and the need for sustainable economies”.

Meanwhile, UK householders are battening down the hatches for another round of severe gales, expected to make landfall in Northern Ireland and northern parts of England and Wales on Tuesday evening. The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning, and believes that gusts of 75mph or more are possible. Fortunately, without the added danger from the spring tide seen on Monday, there are only four Environment Agency flood warnings in place.

The severe gales and tidal surges that hit South and South West England throughout Monday led to property damage from winds and flooding. Wind speeds approaching 80mph were recorded in parts of the region, with an astonishing 95mph, hurricane-force gust seen on the Isle of Wight. If you were affected, visit our flood advice section for help and resources.