England faces threat of autumn flooding while drought goes on

England faces the risk of widespread flooding this autumn even while the country remains in drought, according to forecasters.

- Helena Horton

They warned that heavy downpours could threaten lives and property while still not providing respite from months of dry weather, which has left rivers, groundwater and reservoirs drained.

Will Lang, the Met Office's chief meteorologist, said droughts and floods were "not mutually exclusive", adding: "You can have heightened flood risk as well as drought conditions. The current forecast is for unsettled weather that is unlikely to be enough to reverse the effects of drought over the next few weeks over the autumn."