BATTEN down the hatches and break out the waterproofs, we're in for some rough Weather.

Environmentalist group Friends of the Earth (FoE) blame global warming for the storms that have battered Britain in recent days and warn that unless people all over the world change their ways more and more violent weather is forecast.

Recent weather problems are just a taste of things to come if scientists' forecasts about climate change come true, said the group.

Roger Higman, senior climate campaigner of the FoE, said: "Dangerous climate change is already happening. The storms and floods we are now seeing will get more frequent and more severe.

"We desperately need cuts in the use of coal, oil and gas to prevent the worst forecasts coming true."

That means higher fuel prices, not the cuts demanded by petrol tax protesters before the November 13 deadline passes, and more research into cleaner fuels.

"The Government must stick to a fuel price policy that discourages unnecessary use of cars," added Mr Higman.

Britain's weather nightmare has been echoed worldwide over the past three months with storms in Taiwan, Brazil and Canada, floods in Bangladesh, Japan, Vietnam and India, fires caused by the weather conditions in the United States, Italy and the Balkans, and droughts in Burundi, Croatia, Kenya and Iran. Weather watcher Tom Suttie, of Clitheroe, has been keeping records of changes in weather patterns in East Lancashire since 1967.

"The weather has been getting warmer and the winters, especially, have been mild for the last 10 or 15 years," he said. "You have to remember though that weather moves in cycles. The 1920 were quite mild and then the 1940s were generally very cold. The weather has been going on for millions of years and we are only talking about a very short space of time in the greater scheme of things."

David Mortimer, chairman of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Friends of the Earth, said: "If this is global warming and we were warned weather changes like this would be one of the effects, then we have got to respond by cutting industrial emissions."

Castle Cements Riblesdale works' general manager Ian Sutheran, said: "Castle Cement is committed to protecting the environment and has taken some substantial measures to demonstrate this.

"the recovery of energy from the use of alternative fuels has played a key role in our environmental programme in reducing carbon dioxide.

Les Marsden, chairman of Burnley Friends of the the Earth, said: "It's self-evident that we need to look at changing our lifestyles to protect the environment."

Valerie Miles, company secretary with East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, which represents 1,000 companies in the area, said firms do take their 'green' credentials seriously.

"You can also talk about a climate change in business practices," she said. "Companies have changed their attitudes over recent years. Nobody wants dirty business products." In two weeks time world leaders will meet in The Hague, Netherlands, for the most important climate summit since Kyoto in 1997.

CLIMATE FACTS:

1998 was the world's hottest year of the millennium

The six warmest years on record were in the 1990s.

Average temperatures have risen 0.6 degrees Centigrade since records began in 1860.

Total losses worldwide from floods, storms, droughts and fires were estimated at £62 billion in 1998, almost 50 per cent higher than 1996, the previous record year.

In the same year, 32,000 people died and 300 million were forced to leave their homes.