Further Floods Threaten UK

by in UK

As many as 7,500 properties have been flooded around the UK since the beginning of December, yet there is still more flooding to come.

Further flooding is expected over the next few days in many parts of England and Wales due to an area of low pressure which has formed over the Atlantic Ocean and moving towards the British Isles. Ireland, and some parts of Scotland are also at risk.

The low pressure area will cause heavy rains, strong winds and storm surges. The Environment Agency said that there is a risk of coastal flooding, particularly in England’s South and South West. Parts of Devon and Cornwall have already seen some severe flooding in the last 24 hours, including Fowey, Newlyn, Porthleven, Mevagissey and Plymouth. Residents of Looe, a town in Cornwall, say that the floods that struck in the last days have been the worst so far.

However, with some rainfall expected (around 40mm) the EA has also warned that properties on the banks of rivers including the Severn and the Thames could also be affected. River levels and ground water levels are still high in many areas, making even 40mm pose a threat of widespread flooding.

The counties in England currently under some threat of flooding include Somerset, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire and Kent.

Somerset Levels – Dredging Rivers
In the Somerset Levels, the area worst affected by the flooding over the last few weeks, the call by locals for the dredging of the rivers seems to have been heard by central government. Owen Paterson the environment secretary yesterday promised that dredging would start as soon as the flood waters have receded, if not before, since the government was looking at the possibility of dredging from boats. In his statement yesterday that there are currently 62 pumps working to move water out of the Somerset Levels, running at a cost of £100,000 per week.

Current Flood Warnings for England and Wales

Sources: The Guardian