Normally the British are no more comfortable talking about the weather, but recent extreme weather events are starting to test this theory. Since December, the UK has faced a relentless onslaught from some of the worst winter weather on record. It started with the worst storms and tides in 60 years to hit the North Sea coast, the floods that devastated Christmas to thousands across Surrey and Dorset and in January, the most exceptional period of rainfall since 1766. The Flood transformed vast areas of southern England into cold, dark lakes that devastate homes and businesses. .
Politicians have appeared vulnerable in the face of such a natural disaster, with many of them facing criticism from locals for doing little more than appearing as “flood tourists” at the disaster site, unable to help those in crisis and only being there to take pictures. The Environment Agency, the agency responsible for flood control and river management, has also been blamed for failing to reduce disasters. But there is more debate than ever before about the role of climate change in current floods and storms, and it has been tirelessly hostile.
Politicians have appeared vulnerable in the face of such natural disasters, with many facing criticism from locals. – Julia Slingo, European Training Foundation
However, for those affected by the floods, their immediate concerns are not necessarily about man-made changes in Earth’s atmosphere. A February YouGov poll found that while 84% of those surveyed believed Britain was likely to experience similar extreme weather events in the next few years, only 30% believed they were linked to man-made climate change. Politicians have appeared weak in the face of such a disaster.
There is no evidence to dispute the basic premise that a warmer world will result in more daily and hourly rain events. Julia Slingo said that when torrential rains in 2000 devastated parts of Britain, a later study found that climate change doubled the chances of flooding.
