WITH the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, residents in Okehampton were left shocked after flash flooding swept through the town centre.

On Thursday, July 16, residents were hit by a sudden downpour which saw build-ups of water stream through the town.

A number of residents captured the sudden bout of flooding on camera, demonstrating the showed heavy rain and flooded streets.

The Met Office said that showers and thunderstorms can be highly localised, especially in summer, and the current dry weather may have contributed to the flooding.

Weather events of this kind have been attributed to global warming, with the Met Office explaining that while summers are set to only get drier, rising temperatures mean that when rain does fall it will be ‘more intense’.

A spokesperson for the Met Office explained: “Climate projections indicate that on average, winters will continue to become wetter and summers drier, though natural variability will mean we will continue to see individual years that don’t follow this trend.

“However, rain that does fall in summer will likely be more intense than what we currently experience. For example, rainfall from an event that typically occurs once every two years in summer is expected to increase by around 25 per cent. This will impact on the frequency and severity of surface water flooding, particularly in urban areas.”

Though, despite these predictions, the Met Office has reassured residents that with action, changes can be made

“An increase in severe flooding is not necessarily a certainty by the end of the century,” they continued. “By significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using a combination of natural and man-made barriers, the worst effects of flooding in the future can be lessened.

“The Environmental Agency has published The National Flood Resilience Review, setting out a combination of short-term and long-term projects to mitigate flooding based on different futures under climate change.”