UK News

Britain suffers continued flooding as Brown blames climate change

Jul 23, 2007, 13:39 GMT

A man takes to using a canoe for transport in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, west England, 23 July 2007, after heavy rain over the last few days caused severe flooding in the area. EPA/GEOFF CADDICK

London - Britain's already dramatic 'summer floods' were set to worsen this week as further rainfalls were forecast and the Environment Agency said the situation could reach crisis point in some areas of central and south-west England.

In Gloucestershire, in south-west Britain, up to 350,000 people were left without drinking water Monday after a treatment plant was flooded, the local authorities said.

Up to 250 tankers were despatched to supply drinking water to residents in and around the city of Gloucester, where the threat of dwindling water supplies had earlier sparked panic buying in supermarkets.

Local authorities said up to 350,000 people were affected by the floods in the Gloucestershire region, where 150,000 homes were without water and 43,000 residences were left without power.

Meanwhile, the Environment Agency warned that the situation could turn 'critical' with further rises in water levels expected on the rivers Thames and Severn.

Severe flood warnings also remained in place for the British Midlands, and the counties of Oxfordshire and Befordshire.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who visited Gloucester Monday, said funds to tackle the crisis would rise to 800 million pounds (1.6 billion dollars).

Responding to widespread criticism of inadequate flood defences, Brown said it was clear that existing structures needed to be reviewed.

Brown acknowledged that the floods that have been hitting various parts of Britain over the past month were related to climate change.

'Like every advanced industrialized country, we are coming to terms with the issues surrounding climate change,' said Brown.