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UK prime minister Rishi Sunak defended the federal government’s report on flood safety on Sunday because the Atmosphere Company urged folks to remain vigilant as flooding in England continued into the weekend.

Heavy flooding following storm Henk this week has devastated components of England, resulting in extreme journey disruption and inflicting injury to 1,800 houses, in keeping with the Atmosphere Company.

Sunak has confronted criticism over his authorities’s dealing with of the floods, with the Labour get together accusing the prime minister of “being asleep on the wheel” over flood warnings on Friday.

Talking to media on a go to to flood-hit Oxford on Sunday, Sunak mentioned the federal government had spent £5.2bn on flood defences and that 49,000 houses had been protected on account of that funding.

“Simply in the neighborhood I’ve been strolling round, a whole lot of houses have been protected due to these investments,” mentioned Sunak.

“After all it’s going to be devastating for many who are impacted, which is why there’s monetary help in place, however total funding that’s going into flood defences is at a really, very excessive degree.”

The Atmosphere Company mentioned on Saturday that whereas dangers had been prone to cut back over the weekend, many rivers had been elevated, which might trigger additional impacts within the coming days. On Sunday there have been 167 lively flood warnings throughout England.

Katharine Smith, EA flood obligation supervisor, mentioned that continued results had been anticipated to be felt throughout components of the river Thames close to Oxfordshire, the River Trent close to Nottingham and the River Severn together with Gloucester. She urged folks to not drive by flood water.

“EA groups are out on the bottom, working to minimise the impacts of flooding the place attainable by working flood defences and clearing watercourses,” she mentioned.

The shadow cupboard and atmosphere secretaries Pat McFadden and Steve Reed, in a joint assertion on Friday, mentioned Labour would convene a Cobra-style flood resilience activity pressure to guard households, if it got here to energy.

“This isn’t about extra cash. That is about making certain that the price range already dedicated to flood defences is used to most impact. If that doesn’t occur, houses throughout the nation will stay uncovered.”

On Saturday, the federal government introduced that households hit by flooding may apply for a grant of as much as £5,000 to assist make their houses extra resilient, whereas small and medium sized companies may obtain as much as £2,500.

Farmers who’ve suffered uninsurable injury to their land from distinctive flooding in the meantime will be capable of apply for as much as £25,000 in the direction of restore and reinstatement prices.