英倫地區自上週五（20日）以來整個週末連續下了一場暴雨，洪水災情擴散至英格蘭西南地區，造成5萬戶家庭停電。儘管根據氣象報告，25日的英格蘭天氣轉晴，但同時，洪水氾濫高度已衝破60年來的新高。英相布朗（Gordon Brown）則指出，造成這起災難的主因是氣候變遷所致。
在格羅斯特郡（Gloucestershire），當地警方表示，位於提克斯布瑞市的水處理廠23日遭洪水淹沒後，已造成整個郡35萬人缺乏飲用水。雖然當地已加派250部運水車送水，恐慌的民眾仍瘋狂搶購超市的瓶裝水。目前運送瓶裝水的工作仍在持續中，官員預估，供水系統大約在7到14天後可修復。
布朗表示，英國近一個月來發生的豪雨和洪水，均與氣候變遷有關。他說「和其他先進工業化國家一樣，我們正面臨著各式各樣與氣候變遷相關的問題。」他還說：「如果你願意的話，我們等著看21世紀的極端天氣狀況」。
布朗也針對防洪措施不當的批評做出回應，他說：「我們正打算一一檢視公共建設與排水的狀況，並檢討特定水電設備的設置位置，是否足夠因應我們在21世紀所面對的情況。」
目前，英格蘭中部、牛津和貝佛郡（Befordshire）等地區，仍屬於水患重度警戒區。 英格蘭環境署水患危機政策辦公室主任羅思韋爾（Phil Rothwell）警告：「前幾個星期和最近幾天的暴洪水都是突如其來，而淹水地區以前也鮮少有水患發生。因此，每個人應該完全掌握天氣情勢。哪裡有河水上漲的危險，人們就檢查該區域的洪水警訊。」
首相辦公室發言人24日也則表示，政府正考慮向歐盟申請財務支援，以復原水患受災區。
The sun is forecast to shine across much of England Wednesday, illuminating flood waters that have risen to 60 year highs. Prime Minister Gordon Brown blamed climate change for the torrential rains that pounded the British Isles on Friday and through the weekend, inundating vast stretches of southwest England and leaving more than 50,000 homes without power.
In Gloucestershire, up to 350,000 people had no drinking water Monday after a water treatment plant in the city of Tewkesbury was flooded, local police authorities said.
About 250 water tankers were deployed to bring drinking water to Gloucester residents, who had stormed local markets in a panic to buy bottled water.
Bottled water now is being distributed to residents and officials predict it will be seven to 14 days before water services are restored.
Prime Minister Brown said the heavy rains and floods in Britain over the past month are related to climate change. "Like every advanced industrialized country, we are coming to terms with the issues surrounding climate change," he said.
"We're looking, if you like, at 21st Century extreme weather conditions," he said.
Responding to criticism that flood defenses are inadequate, Brown said, "We're going to have to look at how the infrastructure and how the drainage, how also the location of certain utilities is in order with the conditions we now face in the 21st Century."
Severe flood warnings remain in place for the British Midlands, and the counties of Oxford shire and Beford shire.
Phil Rothwell, Environment Agency Head of Flood Risk Policy, warned, "Flash flooding in recent days and weeks has been very sudden and has often occurred in areas where there were previously few flooding incidents in living memory. Therefore, everyone should stay fully aware of the weather situation. Where there is the danger of rivers rising people should check for flood warnings in their area."
The Prime Minister's Spokesman said today that the government is considering applying to the European Union for financial assistance for flood recovery.
