The chairman of the Environment Agency has urged businesses to start taking active steps to prepare for the worsening impacts of climate change, after figures revealed the full extent of extreme weather events last year.
New figures published today showed that 78 days of 2012 saw flooding, while areas of the country were officially classified as being in drought for 95 days.
A number of rivers, including the Tyne, Ouse and Tone, dropped to their lowest recorded levels and then rose to their highest recorded levels in the space of four months.
Lord Chris Smith, Environment Agency chairman, urged water companies, farmers and businesses to take steps to help alleviate growing water-related risks by finding ways to improve water storage and reducing the amount of water they use.
The agency cited modelling that suggests climate change could reduce some river flows by up to 80 per cent in the summer months over the next 40 years, putting further pressure on water supplies.
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