Flood weather predictions improved

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Forecasters say they can predict when the kind of extreme rainfall that caused last summer's floods and subsequently when many home insurance claims will occur.

Technological advances mean people will now get an extra day’s warning by predicting severe rainfall up to three days in advance, according to the Met Office.

Forecasters will also be able to pinpoint more accurately the location where large amounts of rain will fall, enabling local authorities to prepare for it and home-owners to take action.

Much of the flooding which resulted in home insurance claims throughout the UK last year was caused by surface water after intense rainfall, with May to July the wettest on record by a large margin.

In many cases the rapid flooding could not have been predicted by Environment Agency flood warnings because it was caused by rainwater run-off and did not involve rivers or coastal flooding, for which the agency is responsible.

Paul Davies, Met Office extreme rainfall service manager, said: "The weather forecasts and alerts to emergency responders issued last summer were both accurate and timely.

But the intensity and impact of the rain that fell - including extensive surface water flooding in cities like Sheffield - was wholly unprecedented."