Climate change drives severe winter flooding in the UK

Climate change drives severe winter flooding in the UK

A study confirms that climate change significantly worsened the UK's wettest winter, impacting farmers severely and reducing crop yields.

Mark Poynting and Lucy Vladev report for the BBC.


In short:

  • The UK experienced its second wettest October to March period on record, with extreme rainfall linked to climate change.
  • Farmers like Colin Chappell in Lincolnshire report drastically reduced crop yields due to flooded fields, threatening their livelihoods.
  • Climate models show that such wet winters, previously rare, are now expected every 20 years due to global warming.

Key quote:

“Until the world reduces emissions to net zero, the climate will continue to warm, and rainfall in the UK and Ireland will continue to get heavier.”

— Sarah Kew, researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute

Why this matters:

The increased frequency of extreme weather events poses significant challenges for agriculture, impacting food production and farm viability. Farmers across the UK have reported substantial losses, with fields transformed into quagmires, making planting and harvesting nearly impossible. The reduced crop yields affect the agricultural economy, but also have broader implications for food security and prices, potentially hitting consumers' pockets.

Be sure to read EHN’s related coverage:

  • Climate change will continue to widen gaps in food security, new study finds
  • How climate change is stunting farm production
  • Climate change could slash staple crops
  • A weather research airplane.

    Trump budget plan threatens NASA and NOAA climate programs with severe funding cuts

    A sweeping White House proposal would slash science budgets at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dismantling key climate research efforts and prompting warnings from former agency officials about national security and economic risks.

    Gabrielle Canon reports for The Guardian.

    Keep reading...Show less
    Senator Whitehouse & climate change

    Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

    For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
    Female scientist holding up a beaker of green liquid to get a close look.

    Trump administration halts EPA science board meeting as agency faces major research cuts

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency canceled a key science advisory board meeting without explanation, raising concerns amid broader efforts to dismantle its research division and lay off scientists.

    Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.

    Keep reading...Show less
    Maersk Line cargo ship loaded with containers on body of water during daytime.

    Global shipping faces first international emissions fee under new climate agreement

    A group of major shipping nations agreed Friday to impose a global fee on greenhouse gas emissions from ships, setting the stage for a 2027 launch despite resistance from the U.S. and some large maritime economies.

    Jennifer McDermott and Sibi Arasu report for The Associated Press.

    Keep reading...Show less
    A metal capacitor with coiled copper wire next to it.

    China blocks rare earth exports, rattling global tech and defense sectors

    China has halted exports of heavy rare earth metals and magnets vital to electric vehicles, defense systems and consumer electronics, escalating trade tensions following President Trump’s latest round of tariffs.

    Keith Bradsher reports for The New York Times.

    Keep reading...Show less
    A man in an orange safety helmet and vest working on a power line.

    Britain races to overhaul power grid for the clean energy era

    A massive underground tunneling effort and £35 billion in planned upgrades signal Britain’s urgent push to modernize its electricity grid for renewable energy and digital growth.

    Stanley Reed reports for The New York Times.

    Keep reading...Show less
    A washing machine in a laundry room.

    Trump sidesteps legal limits in bid to gut appliance energy rules

    Donald Trump’s second-term strategy to dismantle appliance efficiency standards hinges on canceling a crucial government contract, sowing confusion among manufacturers, regulators, and environmental advocates.

    Peter Elkind reports for ProPublica.

    Keep reading...Show less
    An aerial view of a winding road in the desert.

    Big tech’s water-guzzling data centers are draining some of the world’s driest regions

    Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are expanding data centers in areas already struggling with drought, raising concerns about their use of local water supplies for cooling massive server farms.

    Luke Barratt and Costanza Gambarini report for The Guardian.

    Keep reading...Show less
    From our Newsroom
    Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

    Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

    A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

    silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

    An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

    “We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

    wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

    New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

    “The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

    People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

    Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

    We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

    joe biden

    Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

    Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

    Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

    Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

    Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

    Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
    Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.