The Met Office is hot out of the blocks on the climate front
this year, issuing the first "climate disaster" story of the
year via the BBC's Roger Harrabin. The frequency of extreme
rainfall in the UK may be increasing, according to analysis by
the Met Office. Statistics show that days of particularly heavy
rainfall have become more common since 1960. The analysis is
still preliminary, but the apparent trend mirrors increases in
extreme rain seen in other parts of the world. It comes as the
Met Office prepares to reveal whether 2012 was the wettest year
on record in the UK. Given the apparently overwhelming drought
risk in the South East of England - of similar magnitude to the
Sahara apparently - we should probably be grateful for this
rain. And while we're on the topic, let's not forget the
Institute of Civil Engineers' report on water availability in
the UK: By the 2050s, summer river flows may reduce by 35% in
the driest parts of England and by 15% for the wetter river
basin regions in Scotland. This will