The heatwave has well and truly vanished as temperatures drop and rain settles, with approximately 2.4m people living in immediate flood risk areas in England. The country spends around £4.4bn on flood defence, with regions such as the East Midlands, the South East and Central London receiving the most money towards flood protection.

The Met Office has issued flood warnings in the North of England, as consistent rainfall has caused flooding in multiple areas, bringing with it huge travel disruption. Train lines were blocked by flooding between Cumbria and Scotland and between Blackburn and Clitheroe, and ferry passengers heading to Dover were delayed by up to five hours because of rough seas.

A ‘danger to life' flood warning was issued in Whaley Bridge, High Peak by the Environment Agency due to fears a reservoir dam could collapse. Businesses in the Derbyshire town, which underwent a full evacuation after the damaged dam was declared unsafe, will receive £100,000 to cover uninsured costs as part of a £5.25m emergency funding package.

Flooding restoration firm Rainbow International pinpoints areas most at risk of flooding, and based on previous incidents, Freedom of Information requests and Government reports, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber are high risk areas.

The report concludes: “With millions being spent on flooding defence and prevention every year, the UK is in a safer place than ever from serious water damage. However, with plenty of hotspots up and down the country – the risk of flooding is still prevalent and can pose major issues if not maintained.”

With 1 in 6 homes in England at risk of flooding, it is estimated to result in annual damage costs of around £1bn. The turbulent weather is expected to continue into the last week of the month — enough to make it the wettest August on record. The previous high, in 1912, saw an average of 6.5in (167.6mm) rainfall.

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