The Cabinet Office has published The National Risk Register (2015 edition), which provides a government assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of civil emergency risks that may directly affect the UK over the next five years.
According to the National Risk Register the highest priority risks are:
Pandemic influenza
This continues to represent the most significant civil emergency risk. The 2009 H1N1 pandemic does not change the risk of another pandemic emerging or mean that the severity of any future pandemics will be the same as the 2009 H1N1 outbreak.
Coastal flooding
The risk of an event similar in consequence to the 1953 east coast flooding emergency caused by a combination of high tides, a major tidal surge and onshore gale force winds.
Widespread electricity failure
The risk of widespread electricity failure has been reassessed in light of an enhanced understanding of the risk’s impacts. As a result it is now assessed to be very high risk with significant consequences.
Catastrophic terrorist attacks
Mass casualty attacks of a magnitude over and above conventional terrorist attacks.
