Ignore flooding danger ‘at your own peril’, Britons warned

Environment Agency says ‘vital’ for public to ‘prepare for the worst’

British households have been urged to prepare for flooding this winter or ignore the risks “at their own peril”.

The Environment Agency launched an awareness campaign on Monday telling people not to be complacent after a prolonged period of dry weather this summer.

It urged at-risk households to take action to protect themselves as the climate crisis continues to make extreme weather events more frequent and more intense.

Caroline Douglass, the executive director for flooding, said it was “vital” for people to “take the necessary preparations as early as possible to prepare for the worst”.

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She said: “The message is clear - households risk ignoring the danger of flooding at their own peril.”

Also on Monday, the Environment Agency and the Met Office laid out what weather the UK could be facing over the coming months.

It said there was a reduced chance of wet conditions and impacts from heavy rainfall until January. But it warned wetter weather could always strike towards the end of winter like last year, when three storms hit in quick succession in February.

Even so, the Environment Agency is telling the public to prepare for flooding throughout the season.

Storm Claudio hit the UK last week (PA)

“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,” it said as it launched its awareness campaign.

The briefing also explained much of the UK was still facing drought conditions - but this does not mean flooding will not occur.

The UK is facing more rain warnings this week (Jacob King/PA) (PA Wire)

Just this weekend, roads were submerged in London as heavy rain caused surface flooding.

A weather warning for heavy rain was in place for parts of the country on Monday, with the Met Office warning of possible disruption in southwest England and areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Storm Claudio brought strong winds to the UK (Brian Lawless/PA) (PA Wire)

It came after Storm Claudio brought heavy rain and 70mph winds to the UK last week, causing travel disruption.

Looking ahead, forecasters have warned snow could fall in some places this month.