Storms Batter the UK

Reported in The Guardian today:

The storm that battered large sections of the UK today originated high above Newfoundland late last week, deepening as it moved across the Atlantic.

While the winds that hit the south and east coasts early today saw gusts peaking at just over 80mph, such speeds are not in themselves that exceptional, according to the Met Office.

“We probably get wind speeds that high around the UK about once or twice a year,” Dave Britton, a Met Office meteorologist, said.

“What is more unusual about this is the low pressure, at 940, which we only see about once every five years or so.

“Again, this is not a completely exceptional figure, but it is a very large area of low pressure. It is also the gradient it approaches at which is so important.”

The severe flood warnings in place throughout Devon and Cornwall were caused by a combination of yet more factors, Britton said.

“What is happening is that you have the spring tides, which are particularly high near the equinox.

“Then you have the low pressure, which you could say sucks the water further upwards.

“Then you have the extremely strong winds pushing the water towards the shore. All this is combing to cause the flood risk.”

The flood risk peaked around the morning high tide, between around 6am and 7am – but as winds increase again over the course of the day there is a renewed risk of more flooding with the next tide.

One positive for meteorologists, Britton added, was that they had anticipated the scale of the storm more or less exactly.

Death Toll for Bangladesh Cyclone Rises

Today’s news stated that the number of deaths has risen to 3100.

Coastal Flooding

Keep an eye on the news, as tonight the east coast is at risk of some serious flooding.

Flooding in Mexico

Whilst we have been on our half term break, Mexico has seen some of the worst flooding in its history. Heavy rains at the beginning of this month have led to serious flooding, the loss of lives and livelihoods.

Look at The Guardian Unlimited for more news on this.

Also a good article in The Times Online and The BBC

Back to nature: £12m plan to let sea flood reclaimed land and recreate lost habitats………so says an article in ‘The Guardian’ today

Conservation experts are to reverse five centuries of British history and deliberately allow rising sea levels to flood a huge stretch of reclaimed Essex coastline. In the most ambitious and expensive project of its type, the RSPB intends to puncture sea defences around Wallasea island, near Southend, and turn 728 hectares (1,800 acres) of farmland into a mosaic of saltmarsh, creeks and mudflats – making mainland Britain just a little bit smaller.

Rains threaten flood-hit Africa

The UN says there are fears of disease and locust infestation The UN is warning of fresh rains and outbreaks of water-borne disease across Africa, where flash floods have already affected more than one million people. Scores of people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced by the floods that have submerged much of the continent’s most productive farmland. The UN said there was an urgent need for food, shelter and medicine. At least 14 countries have been hit in West, Central and East Africa by some of the worst rains in living memory.