This report on a flood episode which has established a major new UK hydrological benchmark, is presented in eight components (see below) and complements material featured in the Hydrological Review of 2000 and in the monthly Hydrological Summaries of the UK issued as part of the National Hydrological Monitoring Programme. The Hydrological Summaries provide more detailed coverage of the development and extent of the flooding through the autumn and winter of 2000/01. A Map gives the location of most hydrometric monitoring sites mentioned in the report; for other gauging stations reference should be made to the UK Gauging Station Network which provides access to details of all primary gauging stations in the UK.
Some of the material for this report was assembled as part of an examination of the autumn 2000 flooding funded by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (under the joint DEFRA/Environment Agency research programme on flood defence). Extensive additional data was furnished by the Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Rivers Agency in Northern Ireland. Rainfall data and other climatic information were provided by these measuring authorities and by the Met Office (for historical comparisons of England and Wales rainfall totals, the homogenised national series developed by the Climatic Research Unit and updated by the Hadley Centre has been used).
A report of this type would not have been possible without the help of many individual field and office personnel; their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.