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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Aamna Mohdin

Wednesday briefing: The new, devastating flood risk facing nearly all of Britain

An aerial view shows floodwater surrounding homes and houses on a residential street in Wraysbury.
An aerial view shows floodwater surrounding homes and houses on a residential street in Wraysbury. Photograph: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images

Good morning. For years, whenever I read about parts of Britain being wrecked by flooding, it always felt like something distant – because until your house is flooded, it’s hard to imagine it happening, isn’t it? Not any more.

According to a Guardian investigation, millions more homes across England, Scotland and Wales are at risk of devastating floods. In England alone, the number of properties exposed to flooding is expected to rise by more than a quarter, from 6.3m to 8m. The story gets worse for those in high-risk areas for flash flooding – which is harder to predict and protect against – where the frequency could surge by up to 66% by 2050. The picture is so bleak that, startlingly, some towns may one day have to be abandoned altogether.

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