The government has issued a major flood risk for Somerset for the latter part of 2023. But how is climate change linked to flooding and rainfall? The Met Office explain how climate change causes rainfall succinctly on their website:
While everybody is familiar with the fact climate change is causing an increase in global temperatures, not everybody knows that global warming can also lead to increased rainfall. It seems counterintuitive but the simple reason is that climate change is altering wind patterns and warmer air can hold more water, so therefore this water gets released as rain. In some places, this rain is becoming more intense and contributing to the increase in flash flooding.
2020 Record Breaking Storms
It was only in February of 2020 that storm Ciara, Dennis and Jorge caused devastating floods across the UK. More than 3,300 properties were flooded in England and that fateful February had the highest combined flow from all rivers in England for any month on record. Given the unpredictability of weather affected by climate change, you cannot predict when intense rainfall is going to strike with the same degree of accuracy that we were previously accustomed to. That February had twice the average amount of rainfall and set a new record as being the wettest on record since 1910 – when records began.
Southwest Flood Risk
In January of 2023, the government has alerted the Southwest County of Somerset with a major flood warning for the latter part of 2023. As humans, we tend to view problems that aren’t immediately in front of us as something to be forgotten about, however planning is essential when it comes to protecting your home or livelihood from floods. If a flood arrives early or there is more rainfall than expected, you are putting your life in danger. Fortunately, we have a range of products, from sump pumps to flood doors, that can protect your home from flooding.
Contact Us About Flood Barriers
Contact our team of experts at Stormguard Floodplan today to enquire about benefitting from one of our fantastic flood defence products, or about receiving our FREE no-obligation flood survey. Call us on 0333 258 6724, or email info@floodplan.co.uk.