over 100 people died in these floods in germany alone. awful scenes from china injuly with flooding trapping people in an underground metro system, where a year s worth of rain fell in just three days. in the usa, death and destruction in tennessee in august as over 400 millimetres of rain falls injust 24 hours. a new state record. and vehicles are tossed around in a torrent in turkey in august as flooding causes chaos in northern parts of the country. scientists say we are unprepared for extreme rainfall. too often action comes after rather than before a flood. where i m standing now is a reservoir in berkshire. it is supposed to be empty but it is one of a number that have been developed here and are designed to fill up with flood water to prevent it rushing unchecked towards the town of thatcham over there.