What role does the Met Office play in forecasting flooding?
The Met Office has a responsibility to forecast and disseminate warnings of severe weather. These include warnings of heavy rainfall, which are sent to the Environment Agency in England and Wales, SEPA in Scotland and various government departments in Northern Ireland. More-detailed daily forecasts are also transmitted for inclusion in flood forecasting models. Recently, the Met Office has developed new tools for improving flood warning (EnviroMet) and there have been notable improvements in the accuracy and resolution of radar information, also used in rainfall forecasting. The Met Office has recently improved its ability to estimate soil moisture content: a critical component in assessing flood risk. The Environment Agency has a new National Flood Warning Centre. The Environment Agency’s Floodline can be contacted on 0845 988 1188.
