Hull ‘hit by major flooding by 2050’

PEOPLE IN Hull will be among billions of city-dwellers facing floods and blackouts by 2050, research has warned.

People in some of the world’s greatest metropolises face problems caused by rising temperatures including heatwaves, flooding, food and water shortages and blackouts by mid-century without urgent action to curb greenhouse gases.

It is “the future that nobody wants”, warns the study by C40 Cities, a group of cities taking action on climate change.

London, Sunderland and Newcastle as well as Hull are all named on a list of cities facing floods and blackouts by mid-century.

Earlier this year Hull was chosen along with Amman, Cape Town, Greater Miami and Mexico City to be part of a global project aiming to help cities better prepare for and respond to shocks and stresses to their water systems. Researchers from Arup, who are carrying out a study for The Rockefeller Foundation,are in the city for the next two weeks.

Hull Council’s flood manager Rachel Glossop said the devastating floods of 2007, which damaged 6,500 homes, made individual authorities realise they needed to work together.

Since then more than £40m has poured in for flood defence work – with another £200m to come.

“We can’t say ever say we can completely stop flooding, but we can work to reduce its probability,” she said.