People will be able to get flood risk warnings earlier, allowing them to take better precautions and reduce home insurance claims.
New technology could help millions of home insurance customers avoid making claims, it has been suggested.
The Met Office, which provides weather forecasts and other meteorological information to the public, has announced that "advances" have been made in the way they can predict severe weather. This could lead to householders gaining better, and earlier, warnings on heavy rainfall - allowing them to make preparations against being hit by flooding.
According to the body, the developments mean that people could receive early warnings up to one day before they would have previously, due to storms being identified with greater "geographical precision". The Met Office also pointed out that improved forecasting is likely to be a major recommendation in an upcoming report from Sir Michael Pitt, who is analysing flood response in the UK.
Paul Davies, Met Office extreme rainfall service manager, said: "The weather forecasts and alerts to emergency responders issued last summer were both accurate and timely. But the intensity and impact of the rain that fell - including extensive surface water flooding in cities like Sheffield - was wholly unprecedented.
"The events of last summer have focused the attention of all agencies involved in severe weather and flood forecasting and the Met Office has accelerated the delivery of its science and technology capabilities in order to meet the challenges ahead."
According to the Association of British Insurers, last summer's floods in central and southern England cost firms around £3 billion, the majority of which was in home insurance claims.
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