Overview
- Senior net zero consultant Lindsay Groves told Reach Plc outlets that London, Manchester and York face growing exposure to surface flooding and intense heatwaves exacerbated by the urban heat island effect.
- Groves also highlighted whole counties at risk, naming low-lying Lincolnshire and drought‑prone yet flood‑vulnerable Cambridgeshire, alongside coastal communities and riverside towns.
- She pointed to recent extremes as evidence of accelerating risk, noting the wettest winter in 150 years in 2023, the driest spring in 125 years in 2025, and the hottest UK summer on record with drought and Yorkshire Moors wildfires.
- Projections referenced extend to around 2050 with an expected two‑degree temperature rise, though Groves said the timeline for places becoming uninhabitable is uncertain and could arrive sooner.
- The remarks follow a Guardian investigation quoting Aviva’s Jason Storah warning that escalating flood risk could render areas uninsurable, potentially forcing communities to be abandoned.