Reed, D.W. 1994b. Some notes on generalized methods of flood estimation in the UK. In: "Coping with floods" (eds Rossi, G., Harmoncioglu, N., Yevjevich, V.), Kluwer, Dordrecht, 185–191.
The generalized procedures for design flood estimation in the United Kingdom are summarized. Both rainfall-runoff and statistical methods are considered. Recent analysis of peaks-over-threshold flood data is reported for 859 United Kingdom (UK) catchments, with special reference to seasonal characteristics. For a reduced network of long-record stations, comparisons are made with corresponding peaks-over-threshold series of rainfall data. It is concluded that, for some United Kingdom catchments, the seasonal distribution of maximum floods is diametrically opposed to that of maximum 1-day rainfalls. This is explained by the very strong influence exerted by seasonal soil moisture deficits in many relatively permeable lowland catchments. It is suggested that the effects are strong enough to compromise the design package on which the generalized rainfall-runoff procedure for flood estimation in the United Kingdom is presently based.