The upheaval created by flooding and extreme weather in Southern England has led to discord between senior politicians and the chair of the Environment Agency. Against a backdrop of political finger-pointing, as fresh flooding hits areas of the South West, the Met Office has made the boldest statement to date linking the unprecedented extreme weather conditions with climate change.  

image expired

In a statement on Sunday, Met Office chief scientist Dame Julia Slingo strongly suggested the "exceptional run of winter storms" can be linked to climate change. Though Prime Minister David Cameron said he suspected climate change has played a part in causing widespread flooding earlier this year, his environment secretary Owen Paterson would not publicly agree with the PM's statement.  

Mr Paterson, who was off work last week to undergo emergency eye surgery, has faced fresh criticism in his absence over his purported beliefs on climate change.

The Prime Minister chaired another Cobra emergency council meeting on Sunday, as the severe weather showed no sign of abating.   

On Friday, the Met Office said the run of harsh winter storms, which have culminated in serious coastal damage and widespread, persistent flooding, can be linked to climate change. Record-breaking weather (much of Southern England received over 200 percent of the average monthly rainfall in January and the highest waves ever recorded in Britain battered the South Coast last week) has also been seen elsewhere in the World; the Polar Vortex affecting the United States and Canada brought snows and record low temperatures to huge swathes of North America, stretching as far south as Florida.  

Meteorologists said the extreme weather events on both sides of the Atlantic are linked to a a pattern of disturbances to the jet stream over the Pacific Ocean and North America, linked to heavy rainfall over the South Pacific. Although the Met Office chief scientist maintained that "As yet, there is no definitive answer on the possible contribution of climate change to the recent storminess," the weight of evidence showing that UK weather is already changing is increasing.  

A Met Office report, released on Friday, explained that recent studies point to an increase in the intensity of Atlantic storms that take a more southerly track, typical of this winter's extreme weather. There is also an increasing body of evidence that extreme daily rainfall rates are becoming more intense, and that "the rate of increase is consistent with what is expected from the fundamental physics of a warming world."

Late last week, speaking at a press briefing as fresh storms battered the South West, Dame Slingo added that the UK could expect to face similar periods of highly unsettled weather in the future. She also said the severe weather and flooding are "consistent with what we might expect" from climate change, and that evidence supports the premise that climate change is making a contribution to the extreme weather.

Government in a Pickles as Communities Secretary comments spark flooding spat

Meanwhile, flooding has spread Eastwards, with areas of the Thames in Berkshire, Surrey and Oxfordshire affected. There are reports of animals trapped by rising waters and people being evacuated from their homes. Animal charities and local emergency services are working to alleviate the pressures of flooding.  

Fresh rains, high tides and strong winds threaten to heap more misery on flood-hit areas right across the South. The number of Severe Flood Warnings, indicating a potential threat to life, have jumped from two to sixteen over the weekend, fourteen of these are in the South East. There were 134 flood warnings in force on Monday afternoon.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who has taken control of flooding in Mr Paterson's absence, found himself the subject of scathing criticism from fellow party members and experts on Monday after comments he made over the weekend. Pickles reiterated government support for controversial dredging  on the flood hit Somerset Levels and attacked the Environment Agency response to flooding. He apologised to those affected and, referring to the Environment Agency, said "We thought we were dealing with experts." Agency advisors have repeatedly stated that dredging on the levels would be an ineffective and inappropriate response to flood risk.   

There are reports that the Environment Secretary has written to the Prime Minister to complain about Mr Pickles' "grandstanding" on the flooding issue, whilst energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey warned against allowing a political "blame game" to detract attention from forming an appropriate response to flooding.

Lord Smith, the embattled head of the Environment Agency, also hit back at Mr Pickles' comments on Monday.  Speaking to the BBC, he railed, "When I hear someone criticising the expertise of my staff in the environment agency that know hundred times more about flood risk management than any politician ever does, I am afraid I am not going to sit idly by."

He said that any limiting factors in flood prevention and response work by the Agency are the result of government cuts and cost-benefit restrictions, which prevent EA officials from undertaking work which will generate less than £8 'benefit' for every £1 spent. Writing in The Guardian, Lord Smith added, "When politicians start saying it's Environment Agency advice or decisions that are to blame, they need to realise that it's in fact government rules – laid down by successive governments, Labour and Tory – that are at the heart of the problem."

Over the ten weeks since Christmas, around 5,000 houses have been flooded in Southern England, Wales and the Midlands. Lord Smith said that, although he feels for flood victims, "At the same time, it's important to realise that some 1.3 million homes – that would otherwise have flooded – have been protected by Environment Agency defences and the dedicated work of EA staff."

£100 million extra Flood spending announced by Eric Pickles late last week effectively amounts a reversal of cuts made to flood spending since the current government took charge.

Following calls from local Party members in the South West, Green Party leader Natalie Bennett reiterated an earlier appeal to replace Environment Secretary Owen Paterson. Bennett said, "I think David Cameron really should be looking at whether he should have an Environment Secretary who has shown he doesn't grasp the reality of climate change."

The calls follow on from a statement by Professor Molly Scott-Cato, leading Green Party MEP candidate for South West, in which she said Owen Paterson's handling of the flooding is the "final straw".  She said the Defra Secretary was failing in his remit and accused him of mishandling flooding in the South West, which she linked to his "incredible complacency" over the issue of climate change.