Importance of spill awareness training as recent severe weather in the UK increases risk of environmental spill incidents

A brief look at the last four years alone – which includes the wettest 18 month’s in UK records – highlights the increasing frequency and severity of weather incidents impacting the UK:

• In February 2022, Storm Eunice struck. One of the most powerful storms to hit the UK in recent years, Storm Eunice brought widespread disruption with wind speeds exceeding 100 mph. The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure, including storage facilities, leading to several oil and chemical spills.
• Storm Babet, an intense extratropical cyclone, struck the UK in October 2023, causing significant damage and disruption. Heavy rainfall and strong winds led to widespread flooding and power outages. Some areas experienced two months' worth of rain in just two days, resulting in rivers exceeding record levels. Many businesses experienced severe flooding, leading to extensive property damage and disruption of operations. Small and medium-sized enterprises were hit particularly hard, with some areas seeing damages amounting to billions of pounds. Flooding spread pollutants from roads, industrial sites, and farms into rivers, contaminating water sources with harmful chemicals and affecting aquatic life.
• In April 2024, an unusually severe spring storm - Storm Kathleen – brought heavy rain and strong winds, particularly affecting southern and central England, and resulting in significant damage to industrial sites, leading to multiple spill incidents.
• Storm Éowyn, which struck the UK and Ireland in late January 2025, was the most powerful windstorm in over a decade, bringing severe impacts, including fatalities and widespread power outages. The storm, characterised by 100 mph gusts and explosive cyclogenesis, caused major disruption to transportation and infrastructure. Storm Éowyn also led to significant environmental issues; a sewage pollution alert was issued for Gorleston beach after a storm overflow was activated, and similarly, Southern Water deployed tankers to manage flows and prevent further pollution incidents in areas like Monxton.
• Storm Herminia, which followed closely after Storm Éowyn in late January 2025, brought severe weather conditions across the UK, Ireland, France, and Spain. It caused extensive flooding, particularly in regions like Somerset in the UK and Rennes in France, where it was described as the worst flooding in 40 years. High winds and heavy rainfall led to power outages, evacuations, and significant damage to infrastructure. Storm Herminia also exacerbated environmental issues with heavy rainfall and flooding overwhelming sewer systems and leading to increased incidents of sewage pollution in rivers and coastal areas.