Hi,

The UK Green Party have claimed that "flooding in Boscastle and
Carlisle showed the effects of climate change."

Is this true, or is this flooding part of a normal pattern?

Could you point me to (non-partisan) web-sites that show a history
and/or analysis of UK flooding data over (say) the last 100 years? I
don't need a definite Yes or No answer to my question, but would like
links to reliable data on this subject.

thanks,
Richard

There was some serious flooding in the 1950's, so it's not new.

And here's a site:

http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/About_Exmoor/ExmoorLynmouthFloods1952.htm

This has since been attributed to experiments in rain making:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1516880.stm

And here's a history going back to AD 38:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/857406/426221/426345/?lang=_e

Thanks probonopublico... that's a great link.

Climate change (may) affect the amount of rain that falls. What may
have greater effect on whether there is flooding is whether that rain
flows into surface rivers, or is held in the soil and sinks to
underground aquifers. Increased building and covering the land with
roads may increase flooding from the same amount of rainfall. Not a
clear-cut issue.

Owain