The Environmental Agency has urged Brits to 'get flood ready' and 'not to be complacent' about potential risks, despite this summer's dry weather. Its alert comes less than a month after Storm Amy blasted through northwestern UK, with gusts exceeding 81mph in parts of Scotland.

In a new statement, Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, warned: "We're already seeing the impacts of climate change through wetter winters and drier summers. The Environment Agency is taking action - working to help communities become more resilient to extreme weather and rising sea levels.

"This Flood Action Week, the public and business owners should play their part by checking their flood risk, signing up for flood warnings and having a flood plan. This will help to keep them and their loved ones safe and reduce the devastation flooding can cause to homes, businesses and communities."

To prepare for future floods, the Environmental Agency advised Brits to consider two key steps. The first of these regards signing up for flood warnings, which could relate to river overflow, coastal flooding, or groundwater issues, depending on your location.

While flood alerts are not yet available across the entire UK, residents of England can verify if their area is covered here. People in Scotland can also sign up for flood warnings here, and residents of Wales can register here. Meanwhile, those living in Northern Ireland can check their flood risk using mapping tools here.

Next, the Environmental Agency encouraged Brits to develop a 'flood plan', which outlines a set of actions to help you respond to and recover from a flood. This may involve assembling a flood kit with essentials, including important documents, waterproof clothing, drinking water, and medicines for emergencies.

Thinking about what should happen to your pets and any important contact details you might need is also especially helpful in these situations. For example, being aware of your home insurance details prior to an incident can enable you to react more swiftly to possible damage.

In light of the ongoing Flood Action Week initiative, Kelly Ostler-Coyle, Director of Corporate Affairs at Flood Re, also said: "This Flood Action Week, we're urging everyone to check their flood risk - and then take action to prepare for it.

"New research commissioned by Flood Re, shows that simple property-level resilience measures could save the UK hundreds of millions of pounds every year. But beyond the financial cost, the emotional toll of flooding can be devastating and long-lasting. That's why it's so important to understand your personal flood risk and take steps to protect yourself, your home, and your family."

The Flood Week advice is issued amid rising flood events in the UK, largely linked to ongoing climate change. Rainfall was up to a third higher than usual in 2024 and, last winter, the Environment Agency issued more than 3,000 flood alerts, 1,600 flood warnings, and three severe flood warnings to people at risk.

The Environment Agency is currently collaborating with the Government to channel £2.65 billion of investment by March 2026, aiming to enhance national resilience by constructing new flood defences and upgrading existing ones.

Before this winter, the Environment Agency prepared 260 mobile pumps, 17 of which are ultra-high-volume, to divert water. It also has 25km of temporary flood barriers ready to be deployed across England.

Amidst this, Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Will Lang, also added: "While the longer-range forecast suggests that the likelihood of drier conditions over the coming months is close to normal, regional variations in rainfall remain likely.

"With an increased chance of north-westerly weather patterns, much of the rainfall may be concentrated in upland areas of the north and northwest UK.

"Importantly, even though the overall signal points to slightly drier conditions at times, the potential for locally intense or prolonged rainfall remains possible and underlines the importance of staying prepared, particularly in regions more vulnerable to such impacts."

Millions urged to 'prepare' for floods amid storm risks - The Mirror