Global Warming Hits Britain In Form of Floods, Gale Force Winds

Britain issued new flood warnings on Monday as gale force winds up to 60 miles per hour pounded the country. There are 12 severe flood warnings on eight rivers across England and Wales, and 75 flood alerts, the result of weeks of rain. Flood damage claims are expected in the range of several hundred million dollars.

“Climate change is having an effect on weather and floods and we've got to do more,'“ Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told the BBC's “Breakfast with Frost'' program.

Prime Minister Tony Blair chimed in as well, “There are serious issues about climate change... We can no longer avoid facing up to this issue on an international level,'' Blair told BBC radio. ``I think the international community for far too long has refused to face up to it.''

Britain, like the US, has a terrible record of failed leadership in responding to the threat of global warming. Now it seems that global warming can speak for itself, a lot sooner than politicians realized.