In its most shocking report so far, the Environment Agency says the UK is not ready for the impacts of climate change.
It says hundreds of people could die in a flooding event at some point, as they did this year in Germany.
"That will happen in this country sooner or later", unless the UK becomes more resilient to increasingly violent weather, the agency concludes.
Emma Howard Boyd the EA's chair, said: "It is adapt or die".
The apocalyptic tone is deliberately intended to startle governments, companies and communities into preparing for global warming effects such as higher sea levels and more extremes of rainfall and drought.
The new report assesses the UK's readiness to cope with the many different risks of climate change.
In its response, the environment department, Defra, said it was taking key measures to protect the UK from the effects of global warming.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58883234
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