The Welsh Government set out its plans for winter on 7 October 2025, including £6 million to improve the national Flood Warning Service following Storms Bert and Darragh in 20241. The announcement covered flood warning, health and social care, warm homes support and community resilience, and was published under the 2021 to 2026 administration1.
On flooding, the government said it had introduced "comprehensive measures to prepare for winter, including investing £6 million to improve the national Flood Warning Service"1. Natural Resources Wales' Be Flood Ready campaign is encouraging people to check whether their properties are at risk using their postcode and to sign up for free flood warnings1. The First Minister said the government had made a commitment to improve flood protection to 45,000 homes this Senedd term1.
The announcement also set out spending on other winter pressures1:
| Area | Measure | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Care at home | Support so more people can receive care at home and leave hospital sooner | £30 million |
| Care homes | Equipment and training to prevent falls among older people | More than £1 million |
| Warm homes | Nest Warm Homes scheme for lower-income families | More than £30 million this year |
| Warm welcome spaces | Support for warm welcome spaces | £600,000 |
| Food costs | Support for people struggling with food costs | £940,000 |
| Household finances | Investment between 2022 and 2026 to ease financial pressures on households | More than £7 billion |
On health, the government said vaccines had been bought centrally by the NHS for the first time to fight the predicted increase in flu cases this winter, and that 99% of community pharmacies can now test and treat sore throats for free without a doctor's appointment1.
"We've seen that in the past month, Wales has moved from drought conditions to flooding, due to increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather. We made a commitment to improve flood protection to 45,000 homes this Senedd term - we are delivering on that promise thanks to record investment."
Why it matters for households
The flood warning investment concerns households in areas at risk of flooding in Wales, where Natural Resources Wales issues warnings and publishes risk maps. The government reports that the Be Flood Ready campaign is encouraging people to check their risk by postcode and sign up for free flood warnings1. The First Minister said everyone has a part to play in supporting their communities this time of year, "That could be by being vaccinated, using our NHS responsibly or just checking in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours regularly"1. The winter measures on care at home, care homes, warm homes, warm welcome spaces and food costs are aimed at lower-income households, older people and those leaving hospital1.
What happens next
The announcement gives no timetable for the flood warning improvements beyond the £6 million investment and the commitment to improve flood protection to 45,000 homes this Senedd term1. No further dates for the other measures have been reported1. Households in Wales can check their flood risk and sign up for warnings through Natural Resources Wales, as set out in the guide to Wales: Natural Resources Wales warnings and risk maps; the guide to Flood Alerts, Flood Warnings and Severe Flood Warnings explains what each level means, and the checklist when a flood warning is issued covers preparations. The flooding hub covers the wider subject, with separate guides on flood doors and flood windows and on home insurance in a flood risk area and Flood Re.
Sources (1)
- Preparing Wales for winter | GOV.WALES, gov.wales
Flood Alerts and Flood Warnings
