Extreme weather events in the UK

How can the risk of drought be reduced?

a hosepipe ban

In dire situations, water companies can apply to the government for an official drought order and turn off water supplies to houses.

How can the risk flooding of be reduced?

The environment agency constantly monitors ground moisture levels in river basins using its own communications systems. This helps make accurate flood prediction.

The thames barrier completed in 1982 was to protect London from any storm surges similar to the magnitude in 1953.

How can the risk of storms be reduced?

Several waning can be issued using televison, radio and smartphones.

Airplanes and rail companies can cancel service to ensure their customers stay safe.

How can the risk cold weather of be reduced?

National organisations like public health England can make announcements in the media warning people to take great care.

Charities for the elderly raise awareness about the heightened health risks for old people during cold conditions.

Describe extreme cold weather in the UK.

Cold conditions take over if depressions are not passing over the UK as normal. Weather risks include:

Frost - can harm crops and cattle.

Freezing conditions - over 17,000 trains were cancelled due to freezing conditions in Jan 2014.

Blizzard conditions - transport include airlines can stop.

Describe extreme flooding in the UK.

Often caused by heavy rainfall or strong waves brought by a depression.

Flooding may also trigger landslides as secondary hazard.

Different types of flooding in the UK includes coastal, river flash, slow-onset river and surface water flooding.

Describe extreme storm events in the UK.

Caused by depressions, can bring very heavy rain and trigger river floods.

Describe extreme drought in the UK.

Defined as an extended period of low or absent rainfall relative to the expected average for the region. - in the UK this is 15 consecutive days with less than 0.2mm of rain on any one day.

The longest drought in the UK was over an 18 month period in 1975-76.

Why does extreme weather occur in the UK?

Because the UK is the meeting point of several different types of weather from different directions.

What are jet streams caused by?

Temperature and pressure differences between tropics and poles. The Earth's spin makes thin bands of high velocity air circle the globe at mid latitude as a result.

What type of climate is the uK? What does this mean?

a maritime climate. This means the UK has cool summers and mild winters. It also has smaller annual temperature ranges than continental climates.

Describe air pressure in the UK.

High and low air pressure systems bring day to day changes to the UK’s weather. Low pressure occurs where air rises. The air cools and condenses to form clouds and so the weather that low pressure brings is cloudy, rainy and windy.

Low pressure systems are called depressions.

High pressureoccurs where air is sinking. The skies are clear and so the weather is sunny and calm in summer and very cold in winter. High pressure systems are known as anticyclones.

What statistics agree with the statement UK weather is becoming more extreme?

The 10 hottest years on record have all come wuthin the last 20 years.

6 of the 10 wettest years on record have come in the last 20 years.

Researchers say heatwave that previously occured once every 3 years now happen every 200 days due to global warming.

Temperatures used to reach around 33 degrees once every 1000 days but now occur as much as once every 200 days.

UK extreme weather event example: what is the beat from the east?

a prolonged and very cold period of weather which began on the 25h of February 2018. This later combined with Storm Emma which lead to the cold snap lasting until March 4 2018.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: Why are winters in the UK normally mild compared to places on the same latuitude?

Because of the jet stream, a warm air mass, that travels across the Atlantic Ocean from Mexico to the UK.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: why was the jet stream disturbed?

(The jet stream brings a mass of warm air making winters milder)

It was disturbed / weakened by a meteorlogical event called stratospheric warming allowing cold winds from Russia to travel to great Britain and dropping temperatures by 7 degrees more than normal.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: Describe what happened to the cold air from Russia.

When it left Siberia it was around -50 degreesC. By the time it reached the UK it was just below freezing. The air mass picked up water overthe north sea which resulted in heavy snowfall when it reached the UK.

What does changes in temperature record tell us about changes in dought frequency?

UK temperatures have increased by around 1 degreeC since 1980. However, high temperatures alone don't cause drought, there must also be rainfall deficiency.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were social impacts?

10 people died

Thousands of schools across the UK closed including more than 200 schools in gloucestershire.

Hundreds of motorists on the M80 near Glasgow were stuck for over 13 hours. Around 1000 vehicles were at a standstill, tailing back 8 miles in both directions.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were the econoimc impacts?

It cost the economy 1 billion pounds a day and could halve the GDP growth in the first ¼ of 2018.

The construction industry lost 2 billion over the worst 3 days of weather.

The AA estimated there were 8260 collisions in 3 days, with insurance costs estimated at over 10 million.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were the environmental impacts?

Up to 50cms of snow fell on high ground

Temperatures in rural areas dropped as low as -12 degrees C.

The woodland trust reported bluebells flowered 12 days later than normal.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were the responses from the met office?

They issued a red warning to Devon, Somerset and South Wales as temperatures dropped and 20 inches of snow fell on some higher areas.

Warned of freezing rain.

Regular updates issued via internet, TV and emergency services.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were the responses from the emergency services?

Cleared snow to reduce hundreds of of drivers and asked them to heed warnings.

Public health England issued warnings to avoid driving and to check on elderly neighbours.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: what were the responses from the local people?

Many locals offered beds to stranded motorists and the homeless including 2 nightclubs in South Wales.

Many 4×4 drivers helped nHS staff get to work

Local farmers cleared roads with tractors to help emergency services.

UK extreme weather event example - the beast from the east: why were there few long term effects and reponses?

Once the snow melted, everything essentially was solved and this is likely to be relatively soon after the cold weather arrived (was only around a week).