Keith Davies calls for Wales’ own flood forecasting service

Llanelli Labour AM Keith Davies will today ask Wales’ Environment Minister to consider incorporating a national flood forecasting service for Wales under the functions of a newly created environmental body.

As present, Wales and England share a Flood Forecasting Centre – a joint venture between the UK Environment Agency and the Met Office. The service produces forecasts at the Met Office base in Exeter, since the former regional Met Office in Cardiff was closed. Keith Davis will today draw the comparison that Scotland hasits own service, operated jointly by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Met Office.

Keith Davies will raise the argument that as Environment Agency Wales (EAW) is one of three merging bodies that will createNatural Resources Wales, it is timely to consider this case. Natural Resources Wales, the Single Environment Body, will come in to operation as of April this year.

The Llanelli AM has previously asked the Met Office for clarification on levels of cooperation with the impending Natural Resources Wales Body. It will be suggested to the Minister that some Met Office functions could be incorporated within it.

Keith Davies AM said:

“Recently my Llanelli constituency has been subject to weather warnings of varying accuracy. I have written to the Met Office to raise these concerns which include the issuing of last minute warnings and a failure to upgrade these, despite worsening conditions and their impacts spreading further afield.”

“Bad weather has hit Wales-wide over the past 12 months, making it even more integral that Wales is issued with highly accurate warnings from experts familiar with our unique landscape. Local knowledge is integral to any warning system and a lack of it can raise significant safety questions.”

Keith Davies AM added:

“This call is timely considering the upcoming merger, and I believe Wales and Llanelli alike would benefit from alerts and warnings that have a higher degree of local accuracy, precision and detail.”

In recent months, Keith Davies has successfully campaigned for the retention of profitable testing operations at the Environment Agency Laboratory in Llanelli remain in place following merger of EAW into the new Welsh entity. Mr Davies acted on fears that commercial testing arrangements may be lost from Llanelli – instead moving to the Environment Agency’s English Headquarters, which like the Met Office is also located in Exeter.

However, those services will now be retained and Keith Davies will make the case that a Flood Forecasting Centre could also be located in Llanelli bringing further skilled employment to the town.