Updated

UK officials and motoring groups are warning that after a summer of extreme heatwaves, the country now faces a winter of storms and heavy rain, driven partly by a record-breaking El Niño, leaving millions of homes at risk of flooding. Authorities are calling for improved flood defenses and household preparedness measures. Separately, the RAC warned that the summer's extreme heat has left UK road surfaces more brittle, and motorists should expect a surge in potholes as an indirect consequence of the record heat, adding further strain on the country's infrastructure.