GovWire

Storm Bert caused significant river and surface water flooding over the weekend especially in the South West, the West Midlands, and the Calder and Weaver Valleys in the North of England.

Following Storm Bert, Environment Agency teams are reporting limited flooding impacts to properties caused by Storm Conall, which has caused minor flooding impacts in the South and East.

As the weather clears the Environment Agency stresses that impacts are not over yet, with a severe flood warning issued for areas near the River Nene from Elton to Wansford. People in this area should follow advice from emergency services and take caution.

As of 15:45 on Thursday 28 November, there is 1 severe flood warning, due to the onset of flooding at Yarwell Mill Country Park, 58 flood warnings and 120 flood alerts in place. The Environment Agency estimates 35,700 properties have been protected and approximately 1100 properties have flooded, including 600 caravans at Billing Aquadrome.

Secretary of State Steve Reed held a meeting with Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy on Monday morning to discuss the response to the flooding and ongoing plans to protect communities.

During the meeting, the Secretary of State was briefed on the latest situation on the ground, and the 24/7 response being led by the Environment Agency and the emergency services. He also sought reassurance on the actions being taken to further protect communities in the coming days with river levels expected to rise in some places. Together they also discussed how to bolster the response from the Environment Agency, emergency services and local authorities if required.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy also visited Chippenham on Tuesday, to see first-hand the impact of recent flooding and to meet with Environment Agency staff and partners who are leading on the response.

The Government is working at pace to step up further preparations for this winter. They are investing 2.4 billion until March 2026 to improve flood resilience and better protect communities across the country.

Lessons learned from these floods are being fed directly intothe new Floods Resilience Taskforceto speed up the development of flood defences and bolster the nations resilience to extreme weather.

The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency, the Met Office, Local Resilience Forums, Mayoral Offices, emergency responders and the National Farmers Union, among others.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:

On Monday, I held a meeting with the Environment Agency and am receiving regular updates on the response to flooding in parts of the country.

My sympathies are with all of those who have been impacted by Storm Bert.

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the outstanding work that the Environment Agency and emergency responders are doing to keep people safe.

I urge people to check their flood risk, sign up for flood warnings and follow the latest guidance from emergency responders.

Ben Lukey, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Localised significant river flooding is ongoing in parts of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire today and on Friday as rivers continue to respond after recent wet weather. Minor river flooding impacts are also probable on parts of the Severn Groundwater flooding is possible from Friday in parts of the South of England.

Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and supporting local emergency response partners.

We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers, urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car. Emergency services are evacuating people from Yarwell Mill Country Park Caravan site near Peterborough. We urge people to follow their instructions.

People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at by searching check my flood risk, and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.

Across the country, Environment Agency officers are working round the clock checking flood defences, clearing debris and erecting temporary barriers. Minor impacts are possible more widely across England, which may continue in places until Saturday.

We continue to monitor forecasts and impacts on water levels across the country. We urge the public to check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and to consider the weather before travelling.

People can check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation, and follow @EnvAgency on X for

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