Britain is facing further flooding in the coming months, with soils left saturated by heavy summer downpours unable to absorb extra rainwater, experts warned. The Environment Agency has given "enhanced flood warnings" across England and Wales because massive amounts of water stored underground following the recent deluges could overflow if further heavy rain hits the country. If this week's calmer weather foments sustained sunshine, water-logged ground could dry out. But with the approaching winter months, the danger of more flooding could persist through to next year, according to Terry Marsh, of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Wallingford in Oxfordshire. He said: "If we have a very dry autumn, soils could dry out, but typically, with average rainfall, we can expect an enhanced flood risk all throughout autumn and winter. "Soils have been the wettest since records began in 1961. The rainfall that flooded Tewkesbury was exceptional - you would expect to see that sort of thing maybe once every thousand years." With no monsoon and little seasonal variation in rainfall, summer rainfall levels in the UK are comparable to winter. The Environment Agency said it was "worried" about land in the North, Wales, Midlands and South West, after rain in July and August filled aquifers across the regions, and normally drier summer water levels were already high in the run-up to autumn. Spokesman Simon Hughes warned that there was little that authorities could do to absorb the effects and would be unable to pinpoint water developments more than several hours beforehand, leaving them at the mercy of natural processes. Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said a crisis looked unlikely in the shorter term, with relatively mild weather expected over the next week.
i hate flooding. i am so glad it doesn't affect me but feel so sorry for those it does. Yarm floods like hell mind
Here's an easy solution for the government to consider: don't build houses on flood zones. I'm sorry, but it winds me up that companies can be contracted to build housing in areas which are known to be at risk from flooding. It's kind of like poking a cat, and then complaining when it bites you. Well, perhaps it's more like selling someone a house on a target-practice range and not telling them. Sorry for the rant, I guess I was a little wound up
yea i said that before Banzai, but i guess people neew houses. it is stupid though, building houses where they are gunna flood when it rains. you would think they would expect it wouldn't you.
Whats wrong with the Scottish highlands? Beautiful views, plus if it floods up there then the whole country is in serious trouble
hahaha, true. about ten minutes away from here there is a village/town called Yarm and everytime is rains the river overfloods like mad. it is horrible. there is a mark on the town hall to where it flooded up to and it is like 20 odd feet!!
And to think there was a hosepipe ban last year... D= Maybe people should start using their hosepipes more. =D
Surely that would just make it flood more... Perhaps we should just abolish Thames Water, for being God-awful at water management, and riddled with top-down incompetance? Just a thought...
I liked where I lived in Canada, I was on top of a hill that was on top of a bigger hill. No flooding for me. But seriously, the government should invest in planting more trees and bushes in these areas. There will still be flooding, but the trees will help increase the water absortion of the soil. Even better it will keep the soil from eroding as badly when it does rain and flood. So future floods won't be even worse.
owww, smart idea Dom. i should know that, we did it in Geograpghy last year. oopsie. it was just stupid building houses there in the first place though, but i suposse people gotta live somwhere.
I can't take much credit. I've just been reading a book called "Collapse", that's about various factors that destroyed ancient civilizations, and threaten the world today. Soil erosion due to deforestation was a big part of it.
I feel sorry for those that this will affect and hope that it doesn't get too serious for them. In Aus we could do with some more rain, our country is dryer than it has ever been and we have very serious water shortages to the point where you can't water outside at all or wash you cars. Maybe you could send some rain over here
*wishes rain will go to Torana* A nice rain cloud above your head should do nicely... We don't flood in my village, but some of the villages near me flooded quite badly last time. They got a news mention and some shocking pictures.
Reading nearly flooded in the last panic... Henley did a bit, but my college is on top of a hill, so no luck there But it really did piss me off that the floods in the south got more media exposure than the ones in the north. Just because Westminster nearly got their feet wet... Shame they didn't, I say.
Hmmm I was a little annoyed when meadowhall in Sheffield had the audacity to flood when I wanted to go shopping
That's very rude of it! My Dad was annoyed when some cricket pitch or other flooded, and they couldn't play some match. Personally, I was delighted...
Well there was only one road or anything flooded near us, and it never affected our travel because we didn't use it anyway. The only thing that had any impact was meadowhall flooding and we just went into town instead lol
The flooding wasn't much of a problem here really. It was just the bleeding sandbags everyone insisted on putting everywhere Abingdon nearby bit the bullet fairly hard though. But not on a Hull or Doncaster scale.
So are we But the only problem is that Wargrave is right by the Thames, so if it floods, we'll be trapped on the hill
Hmmm I guess that could present a problem. I'll buy you a boat I'll shhh now too before this goes off-topic.
It's still fairly on topic actually, as long as we are talking about flooding... It might help if other people would discuss their flooding experiences...
Yeah I know... but they're not and we're at risk of going off topic if its just us in here. We deviate too much.
