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Children in Wales are now afraid to go to bed when it rains heavily due to the “hidden scars” left by repeated flooding, the Senedd has heard.

The warning comes as a Senedd report found Wales risks “falling behind” England on forecasting technology, leaving communities vulnerable to increasing extreme weather.

Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the climate committee, led an inquiry into the response to storms Bert and Darragh which battered Wales from Pontypridd to Holyhead this time last year.

He said people in Pontypridd received no flood warning for storm Bert until water was “over a foot deep” and the town was “let down” by failed promises made since storm Dennis.

His Plaid Cymru colleague Heledd Fychan echoed this, telling the Senedd of people being told by officials to “ring back if the water starts coming in” when they called for sandbags.

Mr Gruffydd urged the Welsh Government to ensure Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has access to the latest forecasting technologies and sufficient funding. “We need to ensure that Wales doesn’t fall behind in this regard,” he said.

‘Urgent need’

Mr Gruffydd explained: “We heard that technical limitations might be affecting the accuracy of flood forecasting in Wales, which is very concerning to us as a committee.

“We’re currently seeing divergence from England where there’s greater focus and investment on computational modelling in forecasting and longer lead times, and piloting forecasts for surface water flooding.”

The Plaid Cymru politician expressed concerns about the level of public engagement with weather and flood warnings remaining “worryingly low” in Wales.

He was particularly concerned about disparities among poorer households and those who are digitally excluded – with only 9% of low-income households in the UK signed up for warnings compared with 31% in affluent areas, according to the British Red Cross.

Mr Gruffydd raised an “urgent need” for utilities firms to maintain a unified priority service register of vulnerable customers due to often inaccurate and out-of-date systems.

The Welsh Government accepted most of the committee’s recommendations but rejected calls to review the adequacy of emergency funding. Ministers also rejected calls for grants to enable families and businesses to put preventative measures in place, such as floodgates.

‘Concerning’

During the November 12 debate, Mr Gruffydd said: “This is particularly concerning given the evidence we heard about the impact of flooding events on mental health.

“Contributors to our inquiry described the emotional toll of coping with the aftermath of the damage and the persistent uncertainty surrounding extreme weather events.”

Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservatives’ shadow climate secretary, was baffled by ministers rejecting calls to review emergency funding.

She said: “The inquiry found that residents and businesses reported that the emergency support and funding was not anywhere near sufficient to cover the damage.”

Labour’s Mick Antoniw, who represents Pontypridd, highlighted that £100m has been invested in flood defences in Rhondda Cynon Taf since storm Dennis in 2020.

But he acknowledged improvements elsewhere were “no consolation” to constituents in Sion Street and Egypt Street who were flooded again during storms Bert and Darragh. He warned of “big issues” on affordable insurance for businesses and renters in flood-risk areas.

‘Hidden scars’

Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow climate secretary, said: “The kinds of storms that used to be considered a once-in-a-century event are now happening on an almost annual basis.”

She warned of the “hidden scars” as well as the physical damage wrought by flooding.

Ms Jewell said: “I know families where children fear going to bed when it’s raining heavily because they fear that they will lose everything that’s downstairs. They fear whether their pets will be safe overnight because they have suffered flooding in the past.”

Huw Irranca-Davies, the Deputy First Minister and climate secretary, stated the Welsh Government has invested £77m in flood resilience this year – a record allocation.

He said NRW now operates a “clearer, more timely” 24/7 flood warning information system, which has been refined in light of lessons learned from each storm in recent years.

Mr Irranca-Davies pledged: “We will continue to listen, to learn and to invest in the solutions that safeguard our communities and our natural environment.”