Ministers told incompetence at Met Office led to underestimation of Storm Bert

Environment Secretary Steve Reed has been asked to review “incompetence” at the Met Office that led to a “clear underestimation” of the impact of Storm Bert.

Labour MP for Cardiff West, Alex Barros-Curtis, said warnings should have been “amber or red”, as Mr Reed told MPs that more flooding is “likely”.

Hundreds of homes were left under water, roads were turned into rivers and winds of more than 80mph were recorded across parts of the UK.

More than 130 flood warnings and 160 alerts remained in place across the UK on Monday.

In the Commons on Monday, Mr Barros-Curtis asked: “Can I ask that the Secretary of State speak to his Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) colleagues to carefully look into the role of the Met Office here?

“It is clear that their response was slow and that there was a clear underestimation of the impact of Storm Bert.

“They put it yellow rather than amber or red. Our constituents have been let down by this incompetence before, and it cannot keep happening.”

Mr Reed said: “In most parts of the countries that were affected, warnings were given with adequate time for people to prepare and I would encourage people to sign up on the Defra website, or the Environment Agency website for warnings and alerts if they live in an area that could be affected by flooding.

“I’m aware of the particular concern that he mentions regarding the Met Office, and I will indeed be speaking to colleagues in DSIT as they review the circumstances of that and look at how the situation can be improved for future events of this kind.”

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Storm Bert was well forecast, with first signs of disruptive weather signalled a week ahead and the first warnings issued on Wednesday November 20.

“A number of warnings were in place ahead of the system reaching the UK.

“We work closely with partners to assess the potential risks of extreme weather and warnings covering Wales highlighted the potential for homes and businesses to flood with fast flowing or deep floodwater possible, causing a danger to life.

“Observed rainfall totals were broadly in line with the forecast and the severe weather warnings issued in advance.”

During his update to the House, the Environment Secretary said that more flooding this week is “likely” but its impact “should be less severe” than has been seen.

He said: “Around 28,000 properties are being protected by Environment Agency flood defences.

“Unfortunately, an estimated 107 properties have flooded across England, principally from river and surface water flooding.”

He added: “The Environment Agency and local responders have also been busy protecting properties elsewhere in England, including flooding from the River Teme in Tenbury Wells where around 40 properties have flooded.

“The river has now peaked and local responders will be focusing on the lower reaches of rivers over the next few days.”

He further stated: “Further flooding is sadly likely over the next few days as water levels rise in slower flowing rivers such as the Severn and the Ouse.

“The Environment Agency anticipates that any impacts should be less severe than we have seen in recent days.”

Mr Reed also described the flood defences they inherited from the previous government as being “in the worst condition on record following years of underinvestment”.

He added: “Over 3,000 of our key flood defences are below an acceptable standard.

“That is why we are investing £2.4 billion over the next two years to build and maintain flood defences.”

Elsewhere in the session, Labour MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, was among the MPs to call for a legal duty on fire services to respond to flooding.

She said: “I want to express my solidarity and thanks to all of our emergency services, including firefighters on the front line.

“Extreme weather events are on the rise and becoming ever more frequent due to climate change, highlighting the urgent need for proper funding and resources.

“England is the only part of the UK without a statutory duty for flooding, leaving fire services underfunded and under-resourced to respond effectively. This must change, as the FBU (Fire Brigades Union) has long called for.”

“When will the Government finally provide a statutory duty for Fire and Rescue authorities to respond to flooding incidents in England?”

Mr Reed replied: “The fire and rescue authorities have the powers to intervene, but she’s quite right to point out there’s not a duty, and officials in my department, working with the Home Office, will review that to see that that remains appropriate.”

Conservative MP for Mid Buckinghamshire Greg Smith said some communities in his constituency are flooding “for the first time in decades” as he accused the Government of wanting to “concrete over the countryside”.

He said: “That is a result of some of the big infrastructure we are seeing being built, particularly HS2 where they will concrete over a field completely, it seems, unaware that that will have a knock-on effect to farmland next door.

“So will the Secretary of State commit to working with the Transport Secretary (Louise Haigh) and I also suggest the Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) given their plans to concrete over the countryside to ensure that where construction takes place proper, and I really mean proper, flood mitigation measures are put into place.”

Mr Reed replied: “This needs to operate across Government, and we will have those conversations and ensure that measures are put in place to support communities as much as is possible from the more severe weather events that we’re seeing as a result of climate change.”

Published: 26/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub