A perfect storm: Why flooding in Britain is getting worse

Analysis: An increase in autumn and winter rainfall caused by climate change has led to increasing floods in the UK and northwestern Europe, Phoebe Weston writes

Flood warning signs were put out in Pontypridd, Wales, after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning (Getty)

This summer the UK has been inundated by floods – Whaley Bridge was evacuated amid fears a 200-year-old reservoir could collapse; sinkholes appeared on the M25 and train lines up and down the country closed.

On Wednesday, a Gateshead village high street was transformed into a river.

The UK obsession with the weather is no longer just filling polite chitchat – it’s front-page news too. People debate whether these extreme flooding events are caused by climate change or our ailing Victorian infrastructure.