'Ignore flood warnings at your peril,' Environment Agency warns

After tolerating high temperatures and drought in the summer, Britons have now been warned of floods coming in autumn.

The warnings have been issued by the UK's Environment Agency, which has urged people to remain cautious and prepare for potential flooding.

The agency has issued numerous flood warnings and alerts, adding that the floods can cause severe disruption. Nearly two in three households are at risk of flooding.

"We can still have flooding while we're in a drought. Just because we're in a drought doesn't mean we won't have flooding," said Caroline Douglas, Executive Director of Flooding at the Environment Agency.

"Climate change is happening now. We're seeing more extreme weather - in this year alone with three named storms in a week, record-breaking temperatures, and drought declared across large parts of the country."

"The message is clear - households risk ignoring the danger of flooding at their own peril. Anyone can go online to check if they are at risk, sign up for Environment Agency warnings, and, most importantly, know what you need to do if flooding hits," she warned.

Several areas have already started experiencing torrential downpours. Three million properties across the UK are at risk of flooding without early warning signs, writes The Guardian.

According to the Met Office, these floods will be caused by a weather phenomenon called La Niña, a climate pattern that describes the cooling of surface ocean waters.

The experts believe that it could cause cold snaps at the beginning of the season and storms at the end of it. The risk of flooding is expected to be particularly high at the end of winter.

"The risk of unsettled weather increases as we head into 2023. This is another La Niña winter, as it was last winter, so it would not be unusual if the wettest and stormiest part of the season with the greatest flood risk again [came] at that end of the season, in February, as it did last winter, said Will Lang, the head of situational awareness at the Met Office.

The water-starved ground will not be able to absorb heavy showers, increasing the risk of flooding. The authorities have already put the military on standby as other agencies continue warning people.