Flooding 'heat map' shows areas at risk by 2050

A postman walks through floodwater on Clapham Road, in Kennington, as a result of a burst water main. Credit: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

A flooding 'heat map' published today shows the boroughs that are most at risk of flooding by 2050 according to a new draft report led by the Mayor of London.

The report claims that 17 per cent of permeable ground surface in London has been lost over the last 40 years, largely thanks to the trend for home-owners to pave over their front gardens. This has effectively 'waterproofed' the city, driving more rainwater into London's traditional drainage system.

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, in partnership with Thames Water, the Environment Agency and London Councils today published the first London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan for consultation, identifying potential flooding hotspots across the city and proposing ways of diverting rain back from the sewers into the soil with rain gardens or green roofs.

Fire officers place sandbags in flood water from a burst main in Clapham Road in Kennington Credit: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire