We’re not ready for a serious flooding scenario

THE fate of parts of England, besieged by rain and floodwater over the past couple of weeks, has been almost akin to biblical times, with homes, businesses, animals and transport swept away in the deluge.

But despite this week’s sunnier weather, many parts of Ireland are rarely more than a combination of heavy rains and high tides away from a similar scenario.

Pictures from Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire have been dramatic, and we ignore them at our peril in this country.