Sir Keir Starmer’s government has drawn up plans to deal with extreme weather conditions this winter following devastating floods in Spain.

Cross-government working will ensure “we are as resilient as possible nationally”, Downing Street has said.

Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband flagged warnings that 600,000 people in the UK could be at risk of flooding in the future due to climate change.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, led the briefing on winter preparations, adding: “Recent events in Spain were a reminder of the impact extreme weather can have on local communities.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “We are always preparing for all eventualities, whether it is the impact of extreme weather or the impact on the NHS.”

“Devastating scenes”

The discussion on winter preparations, which also included an update from Health Secretary Wes Streeting on NHS preparedness, followed an update from Sir Keir and Miliband on the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.

The spokesperson said: “The connection was made with the fact that climate change can lead to extreme weather events. We have obviously seen these very devastating scenes in Spain.”

More than 200 people have died in Spain as a result of flooding around Valencia.