Climate Change in Action - UK Floods

When the summer of 2007 turned quite literally into a washout, many thought it was an unlucky year for weather. But when regions all over the country were unexpectedly flooded, it was generally agreed that climate change, brought on by years of human activity against the environment, was to blame for the extreme weather conditions.

The Wettest UK Summer

It’s been estimated that 2007 was the wettest summer in the UK since records began in 1914. Areas of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Midlands experienced torrential rainfall in June, affecting thousands of homes, particularly in Hull and Sheffield. The rain continued into July, when extensive areas of the UK were flooded after rivers burst their banks in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire and Herefordshire. A total of nine lives were lost, over 350,000 people were left without access to clean water and many lost their homes, possessions and businesses.

Summer Floods Could Happen Again

As the clean-up and recovery in some areas continues, the long term legacy of climate change on our weather system continues to be debated. Official warnings such as those espoused in last year’s Stern Report, claim that extreme weather – floods, storms, heat waves, drought – will be a more and more regular occurrence in the previously moderate UK weather system, and that average temperatures could rise by as much as four degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This makes preparing the country for the effects of climate change, as well as preventing further environmental damage through human activity, more important than ever.

Flood Plain Concerns

With predictions on climate change indicating that floods will happen more regularly, there are worries regarding the millions of existing and new houses that sit within areas at risk from flooding. According to DEFRA, 10% of the UK - equivalent to two million homes - is in danger of flooding. Insurers may be hesitant in renewing home insurance policies for those recently affected by flooding, and there's no obligation to renew home insurance for existing customers. Insurers are calling for the government to put more investment into the UK’s flood defences.

Strengthening Our Flood Defences

Improvements in our response to flood warnings and better defences against future floods need are key, says the Environment Agency’s chief executive: "The issue is the pace at which they are implemented ... we need to move faster.” November’s threat of floods along the east coast of England appeared to show that the summer’s floods had at last woken people and the authorities up to the real danger of flooding. This time, Prime Minister Gordon Brown wasn’t taking any chances: "Our first priority is to ensure people are safe. That's why over the course of yesterday and throughout the night we have been bringing in the helicopters, the sandbags, the preparations that are absolutely necessary so that people are safe."

Prevention – How You Can Do Your Bit

While the effects of climate change are already being felt both here in the UK, and even more extremely elsewhere, it’s still vital that we take steps to help do our bit for the environment to help lessen the blow for future generations. Even making small changes to our everyday lives will help reduce our carbon footprint, directly helping to combat the effects of climate change.