The UK experienced record levels of rainfall in 2012 resulting in thousands of homes and businesses across the country falling victim to flooding.
The Met Office recently reported that four of the top five wettest years had occurred since 2000 and the trend shows no sign of changing.
Met Office chief scientist Prof Julia Slingo said:
“The trend towards more extreme rainfall events is one we are seeing around the world, in countries such as India and China, and now potentially here in the UK.
“Much more research is needed to understand more about the causes and potential implications.”
The Environment Agency said almost 8,000 properties in England and Wales were flooded during 2012 and it sent more than 200,000 warnings to households and businesses.
One place to experience the flooding firsthand was Todmorden, last June the town was subjected to the same deluge of rain that battered the rest of the UK.
Todmorden was in the final stages of a £30 million investment as part of the Todmorden Alleviation Scheme to improve flood defences when the flooding hit. Environment Agency staff and the main contractors VolkerStevin cleared debris left in the town centre and provided pumps for flooded properties.
The works which are currently still ongoing are expected to be complete by autumn and will protect some 858 properties from the risk of flooding in the future.
The work has been carried out in three phases; phases one and two have been completed and included a flood storage area at Millwood, flood walls along the River Calder from where it meets Walsden Water and a flood storage area at Centre Vale Park.
The third phase is ongoing in the Rochdale Road Area and includes the construction of a new 500 metre wall between 1.2m and 2.8m high. Culvert strengthening work has also been completed in the town centre.
The Met Office found that in at-risk areas flood defences had protected more than 200,000 properties, the works being carried out by VolkerStevin will go some way to protecting Todmorden in the future.
