The Guardian view on heavy rain: England’s flood defences are not strong enough | Editorial

WWith flood warnings still in force across south-west England and Wales on Monday, followed by another fortnight of wet weather forecasts, soggy soils across large swathes of the UK are unlikely to dry out any time soon. Reports that Aberdonians have not seen a sliver of sunshine since January 21 prompted an outburst of stoicism on BBC radio, with one resident commenting: “You have to go, better days are coming.”

But until then, north-east Scotland is bracing for even heavier rain. For farmers and businesses in affected areas, the impact goes far beyond the inconvenience. Marketing consultant Sam Kirby told the Guardian she had to work in a car park in Cornwall after Storm Goretti because her broadband wasn’t working. And Goretti was the first of three January storms.

In Somerset, where more than 600 homes were flooded in 2014, emergency pumps were added to the permanent pumps stationed at Northmoor, to try to keep the water at bay. But some have spoken of a “losing battle” in the face of escalating risks linked to climate change. Cereal and vegetable producers are waiting for the waters to recede to assess the damage to crops.

Following other recent extreme weather events, the Environment Agency is embarking on a review of its flood management strategy in England (responsibility for similar projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is devolved). In a letter to MPs’ environmental audit committee, Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said efforts to “build workforce skills in the flood sector” would help English councils cope, while a revised planning framework would take into account flood risks. But years of cuts to the Environment Agency’s budgets, combined with confusion over its purpose, mean confidence in its ability to lead climate resilience efforts, including flood prevention, is far from assured. Although aid workers have been praised by local people, grateful for their efforts, the overall approach is criticized for being reactive rather than proactive.

There has been no recent flood in the UK comparable to the disaster that occurred in eastern Spain in 2024, when 229 people were killed and the region’s president was forced to resign due to a botched response. But with experts warning that torrential winter rains are coming 20 years earlier than climate models predicted, due to a combination of warmer air – which retains more moisture – and an unstable jet stream that jams weather systems, the need for investment and clear communication around this growing threat is clear.

The danger is that as extreme rains become more frequent and people become accustomed to seeing drivers rescued from stranded vehicles or retirees from flooded homes, these events become less alarming rather than more alarming. Climatologists have warned that the “boiling frog” effect can make it difficult to manage incremental change. But with 6.3 million properties at risk in England, and 8 million by 2050, ministers must focus on climate adaptation, including drainage – and continue to do so long after the last floods have receded.

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