Britains heading to flood-rich period

Experts are warning that the summer of 2007 was not a one off – and that more flooding is on the way.

Could we be heading to a 'flood-rich' period?

Professor Stuart Lane, from the Durham University’s new Institute of Hazard and Risk has studied the rainfall and river flow patterns of the last 250 years and says that after about 40 less eventful years that we are heading towards a more ‘flood-rich’ period. His work also suggests that some links between summer 2007’s wet summer and climate change were wrong.

By studying past climate patterns, Professor Lane has highlighted that flooding in the UK is more normal that most of us remember. In last few centuries there have been periods of very dry and very wet weather, sometimes lasting up to a decade. Ten percent of British summers are actually wetter than a normal winter.

He said: “We entered a generally flood-poor period in the 1960s, earlier in some parts of the country, later in others. This does not mean there was no flooding, just that there was much less than before the 1960s and what we are seeing now. This has lowered our own awareness of flood risk in the UK. This has made it easier to go on building on floodplains. It has also helped us to believe that we can manage flooding without too much cost, simply because there was not that much flooding to manage.”

The government estimates that 2.1 million properties and 5 million people are at significant risk of flooding. The issue of flooding is one of the many covered by the Institute of Hazard and Risk Research, which launches this week. It also aims to improve human responses to volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides as well as uncertain risks like climate change, surveillance and terrorism.

By Leila Sattary