There has been widespread media coverage today of the flooding caused by torrential rain which has been affecting all parts of the UK this week, including in the Daily Mail, Times , Daily Mirror , Daily Express, Telegraph, the Sun, Yorkshire Post and the Today Programme.
The coverage details the disruption caused, such as on the Isle of Man where some properties have had to be evacuated by helicopter.
Reporting also notes that over 250 flood alerts and warnings have been issued by the Environment Agency so far this week and that the weather is expected to improve until the weekend when further unsettled weather is expected.
Throughout the course of this week the Environment Agency has had teams working out on the ground operating flood gates, including the Thames Barrier in London and the Foss Barrier in York, and putting up temporary flood barriers in high risk areas to help keep communities safe.
Responding to this week’s events, Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said:
I would like to express my sympathy with all those who have felt the impacts of the severe weather over the past few days. I know that many communities have been affected around the country.
I want to praise the work of the emergency services, local authorities and the Environment Agency, whose staff have been on the ground around the clock to help keep people safe.
I and my team at Defra will continue to work with local authorities and communities to ensure that they have the support they need
Kate Marks, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:
Although conditions across England are now improving, heavy rainfall earlier this week means that river levels remain high, with ongoing minor flooding expected along parts of the River Severn in Shropshire and the River Ouse in York. Further heavy rain on Friday could also lead to localised surface water flooding across parts of western and northern England.
We have teams out on the ground ready to respond where needed and are working with partners to resolve any ongoing issues. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation https://www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or follow @EnvAgency on Twitter for the latest flood updates.
In the longer term the Government is continuing to invest £2.6 billion in new and improved flood defences to better protect 300,000 homes by 2021.