Help and high water

A £6 million research project to help predict floods and to investigate the causes of flooding has been announced. Led by the Natural Environment Research Council, the five-year Flood Risks from Extreme Events (Free) programme will examine what causes floods, help to forecast flood risk more accurately and inform society about the likely effects of climate change. The team - comprising academics from 12 UK universities - will study recent floods such as those in Gloucester and Boscastle. The project steering committee has established a Flood Action Team, with results to be presented to the Environment Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.