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

Downing Street said cross-government working would ensure “we are as resilient as possible at home”.

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

Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, led the briefing on winter preparations, adding that “recent events in Spain are a reminder of the impact of extreme weather on local communities.”

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

‘Destructive scenes’

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

The spokesman said: “The link has been made with the fact that climate change can lead to extreme weather events. We clearly saw these very devastating scenes in Spain.”

More than 200 people died due to the flood around Valencia in Spain.