Climate change means the risk of flooding has increased. Areas in the UK which are prone to floods are now more likely than ever to be affected. York, which is built on the River Ouse, is a city well used to floods, having been inundated in 1982, 2000, 2015, and most recently in both February and November 2020, when the UK had its worst flooding in 50 years.
York is susceptible to floods because the Ouse is fed by rivers rising in the Yorkshire Dales, which has high rainfall, steep slopes, largely impermeable bedrock and few trees. This promotes rapid run off, channelling water into the River Ouse. York itself is built on low-lying land and there are several tributaries joining the River Ouse including the River Foss, which runs through the old medieval centre of York.
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