Waterlogged: no end in sight (Image: Gideon Mendel/Corbis)

IT TRULY is a time of extremes. While California faces what may be its worst drought on record (see “California thirstin’: Tips from Australia mega-drought“), the UK is wrestling with torrential floods.

“In some parts of the country, this has been the wettest January since Met Office records began” over 100 years ago, says John Curtin of the Environment Agency. Downpours have battered the UK for weeks, and more are predicted for February.

The floods may be linked to the “polar vortex” in the US. In January polar air gushed south, triggering sub-zero temperatures. The cold air boosted the jet stream, hurling low-pressure systems at the UK. “The weather we’re facing here is caused by an imbalance in temperatures over in the US,” says Curtin.


It is unclear if these floods are linked to climate change, but some kinds of flood probably will become more frequent, so how to cope?

In the short term, there is talk of dredging rivers to speed the excess water on its way to the sea. The land is waterlogged so water cannot drain.

In the long run, we must live with extremes. “I remember visiting an old house along the river Severn,” says Curtin. “The owner would open the front door and the back door and let the river run through.” It’s an extreme example, but modern houses are simply not built for this. Stone makes more sense than carpet on the ground floor in a low-lying area, as does building living quarters over garages. Placing power sockets a metre above the floor could help avoid rewiring.

This article will appear in print under the headline “Deluge follows downpour”