UK preparations for flooding and extreme weather ‘inadequate’, says adviser

The UK is not adequately prepared for the impacts of climate change, including more frequent flooding and rising temperatures, according to a stark warning from the government’s official climate adviser.

In a new report, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) stated that progress on adaptation is “too slow, has stalled, or is moving in the wrong direction.” The committee highlighted growing threats to the UK’s food supply, infrastructure, public health, housing, and economy.

The country is already facing warmer, wetter winters, higher sea levels, and hotter, drier summers — trends that increase the risk of both floods and droughts. The CCC said clearer, more ambitious goals are urgently needed to boost the UK’s climate resilience.

This is the CCC’s first report on adaptation under CEO Emma Pinchbeck, a former energy industry advocate. It assesses how well the UK is following the adaptation strategy introduced by the previous government in 2023.

Despite promises in its manifesto to strengthen climate preparedness across all levels of government and emergency services, the Labour government has done little to improve an already weak adaptation plan, the CCC said.

Baroness Brown, who chairs the committee’s adaptation panel, warned the UK could face a catastrophic weather event similar to last year’s floods in Valencia, Spain, where three hours of intense rainfall caused widespread destruction and over 200 deaths. “We need to prepare for disasters like this now,” she said.

The report revealed that more than 6.3 million homes, half of the UK’s top-grade farmland, and over a third of the country’s transport network are already vulnerable to flooding.

The CCC urged the government to set long-term targets for reducing flood risk and called on the National Energy System Operator to evaluate how extreme weather could disrupt the energy grid and water supplies.

Brown said the upcoming spending review must protect funding for climate adaptation. “The government may be under pressure to cut spending, but this isn’t where to cut,” she said.

The report also warned about the risks posed by extreme heat, which can damage infrastructure like railways and power lines, and severely impact public health. Research cited in the report predicts up to 10,000 heat-related deaths annually by mid-century, along with a 7% drop in GDP.

No area of the UK’s adaptation strategy — whether in health, infrastructure, land use, or the economy — was found to be sufficient. In some cases, such as water management and marine habitat monitoring, conditions have worsened since the CCC’s last review in 2023. Flood protection policies have also declined in effectiveness.

Imperial College London climate scientist Friederike Otto said the UK was making decent progress on cutting carbon emissions, but warned that adaptation efforts were dangerously lacking. “Staying the course on adaptation isn’t good enough — the UK is at risk,” she said.

In response, a spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pointed to a record £2.65 billion investment in flood defence projects, which aim to protect homes, businesses, and communities from climate-related threats.

“We will take the Climate Change Committee’s report into careful consideration and respond in due time,” the department said.