Liberal Democrats in Harlow are backing calls for better warning systems for intense rainfall, to help avoid the damage caused by heavy rains in Harlow last year, and in other parts of the country this year.

The Environment Agency currently runs a Floodline system, which gives warnings of river and tidal flooding - even sending alerts by text message to subscribers' mobile phones. However, the system does not cover the threat of flooding from sudden heavy rainfall - the cause of last summer's flooding problems in parts of the town, and the subject of a recent council scrutiny inquiry initiated by the Liberal Democrats.

Harlow's Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Chris Millington says:

"Many local families were very badly affected by the floods of June and July 2006. An early warning system for heavy rain, similar to that promoted by the Environment Agency for river and tidal flooding, could have helped prepare residents and emergency services, and reduced the damage. The independent review body considering the impact of this summer's flooding in Hull also recommended this as a way forward.

I have written to the Environment Agency asking them to consider as a matter of urgency whether its Floodline system could be expanded to give warning of sudden severe rainfall."