BARELY two weeks since the end of summer, and we are already being asked to prepare for the floods.

They are becoming a regular, unwelcome, fixture on the climate calendar, warns the Environment Agency.

It is urging the many people living in at-risk areas to develop flood plans and assemble flood kits.

This is depressing stuff. But at least the ominously black cloud comes with a silver lining: work has finally started on new flood defences for Ryedale.

They should offer more solid protection to twice-hit Ryedale residents than flood plans and kits.

Updated: 10:37 Monday, September 17, 2001