Storm Chandra brought heavy rain to the UK on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 January. This was the seventh named storm overall to hit the UK so far for the 2025-26 storm season starting on 1 September. Storm Chandra closely followed Storm Ingrid, which brought heavy rain to southern areas of the UK the previous week.
As of the afternoon of Sunday 22 February, the Environment Agency reports that around 401 properties have flooded across England with 373 of these in Devon and Cornwall and Wessex EA areas, with a further 28 in other parts of Hampshire, Herefordshire and Yorkshire. This is in addition to extensive farmland and some local infrastructure flooding. Approximately 24,500 properties have been protected by Environment Agency assets across all locations.
South-west impacts
The south-west of England has been particularly impacted and three severe flood warnings were issued in the initial days of the storm, indicating a risk to life. The south-west has seen nearly twice the long-term average rainfall so far this year. Records have been broken in many parts of the south-west for water levels in rivers, groundwater levels and amounts of rain falling in a day.
A major incident was declared by Somerset council on 27 January to support the co-ordinated response to flooding in the Somerset levels and moorland. This was only lifted on Wednesday 18 February, as the multi-agency efforts have stabilised the situation. The Environment Agency is following its Somerset moors and levels flood management plans, and operating flood storage areas and pumps.
Before recess, I visited Somerset with the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke). I saw at first hand the impact of the flooding, with villages cut off by submerged roads, and the strain this has placed on people’s mental health. I met a local farmer to see the impacts to his farmland, and I met the local internal drainage boards and Somerset Rivers Authority to hear their views.
Following my visit, the Environment Agency committed to reviewing the issues around water level management in Somerset once this incident has come to an end. It will work closely with the internal drainage boards and the local council as part of the wider recovery plan. That review will look at several important questions: when pumps should be activated, whether the current trigger points are right, and whether installing permanent pumps in certain locations could offer better value for money in the long term.
I want to again acknowledge the vital contributions of Somerset council, Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service, the police, ambulance services, the members of the internal drainage boards, and many others who have played essential roles in the multi-agency response.
A number of properties on the seafront at Torcross were significantly impacted during Storm Chandra and the high spring tides of 2 and 18 February, with wave overtopping causing internal flooding and other damage, although the degree of impact varies between properties and in some cases is still being assessed. The Environment Agency is working with local partners to support the community and engage with the hon. Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden).