BGS to deliver three-year groundwater flood forecasting service to support emergency response to flooding
BGS is delivering a national-scale early warning system for groundwater flooding, alongside the Environment Agency and the Met Office.
29/11/2021 By BGS Press
BGS has been appointed to forecast groundwater flooding for the Flood Forecasting Centre (FFC) until 2024.
BGS will deliver a three-year groundwater flood forecasting service (GWFFS), providing a national-scale early warning system for England for groundwater flooding.
The service officially went live at the beginning of November 2021 and is being used by the FFC to help inform their daily flood guidance statements, which are delivered to support the Category 1 and 2 emergency response community.
Groundwater flooding represents a significant part of the overall flood risk in the UK, but is challenging to forecast as it results from subsurface flow processes that are hard to observe and difficult to characterise.
The service not only builds on our expertise in national groundwater flood mapping and modelling, but also our continued collaboration with the Met Office and Environment Agency in delivering operational groundwater forecasts for other services such as the UK Hydrological Outlook. At the heart of the system is our AquiMod groundwater model software, which allows us to provide skillful forecasts quickly and at an appropriate scale, helping the FCC to deliver relevant information to those that need it.
The opportunity to provide essential data of this scale to the FCC, which combines meteorological and hydrological expertise with extensive regional- and local-scale knowledge and community engagement practices, will ensure there is a reliable link between science and the impact that flooding has on everyday lives.
Dr Jonathan Mackay, BGS groundwater flood forecasting service project lead.
The FCC, which is a working partnership between the Environment Agency and Met Office, uses flood forecast information to assess the likelihood, location and scale of groundwater flooding.
The GWFFS forms part of the FCC’s commitment to continually improve its ability to deliver skillful flood forecasts with more targeted information for emergency flood responders.
It’s great to have the expertise and skills of British Geological Survey hydrogeologists on board as partners to support the FFC. This service will enable the FFC to deliver timely and accurate groundwater flood forecasts to be used to assist emergency responders with tactical, strategic and operational planning decisions.
Steve Stanbridge, Flood Forecasting Centre.
Relative topics
Related news
Join the BGS Board
06/09/2023
BGS is looking to appoint one to two non-executive directors to join our board.
Evolving policies in the face of climate change: BGS data can help
25/08/2023
Climate change is increasingly recognised as a major challenge for organisations, with the need for adaptation driving a wave of policy updates and reforms across multiple sectors. BGS data holdings are relevant to many of these changes and the following examples outline how these data packages can be applied.
New report assesses deep geothermal energy in the UK
17/07/2023
A new BGS report assesses the current situation around and future potential of deep geothermal energy in the UK.
Mineral investigation reports released online
07/07/2023
Reports from over 260 mineral exploration projects are now freely available on BGS’s GeoIndex.
Updated biosphere map for the UK released
07/07/2023
The updated biosphere map for the UK will allow users to identify sulphur isotope variations.
Scoping report on the material requirements for a UK hydrogen economy
21/06/2023
The UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre has produced a scoping report that examines the aims of the UK with regards to developing a hydrogen economy, the sustainability of these targets, given current metal loadings, and provides some suggestions for overcoming potential challenges that the UK may face in securing raw materials to support this ambition.
Scoping study on metals used in specialist alloys in the aerospace industry
21/06/2023
A recent scoping study by the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre assesses the application, importance and supply-chain risks associated with specialist alloys used in the aerospace and defence industries.
BGS unveils #TheCommoditree at Glastonbury 2023
21/06/2023
The new installation is part of a unique touring festival stand showcasing how modern lifestyles wouldn’t be possible without rocks and minerals.
A new open dataset to benefit onshore geoscience research
15/06/2023
Data from deep onshore hydrocarbon wells is being released on an open access basis to help meet the UK’s net zero targets.
Geological Society honours BGS scientists
14/06/2023
The Geological Society has recognised the contributions of two members of BGS: director Dr Karen Hanghøj and volcanologist Dr Samantha Engwell.
NERC recognised by the Carbon Trust for its step towards net zero
07/06/2023
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has achieved the ‘taking action’ tier of the Carbon Trust’s Route to Net Zero Standard.
New report on the National Land Data Programme published
06/06/2023
The report, based on pilot projects across the UK, explains how spatial data and modelling can support better decisions on land use.