Beast from the East

• causes

  • stratospheric warming that disturbed the jet stream
  • winds shifted bringing polar continental air from Siberia
  • the air mass picked up water over the North Sea bringing snow
  • storm Emma moved from the Atlantic brining further snow fall
• February 2018
• storm Emma = march
• social impacts

  • hundreds of people were trapped on the M80 near Glasgow for up to 13 hours
  • 10 people died during the storm
  • thousands of schools were closed across the country
  • people were unable to get to work due to conditions
  • hospitals in Glasgow, Grimsby and Scunthorpe cancelled all appointments
  • British Airways cancelled hundreds of short-haul flights from Heathrow
• environmental impacts

  • snow drifts were as high as 7 metre
  • 50cm of snow in parts of Wales, Exmoor and Dartmoor
• economic impacts

  • accidents costs over £10 million pounds in insurance claims
  • people were unable to get to work due to conditions
  • British Airways cancelled hundreds of flights from Heathrow
• UK's response - before

  the met office issued a very rare red weather warning which means danger to life - this covered Scotland, Devon, Somerset and South Wales

  this gave people time to prepare (get food, water, blankets) and escape
• UK's response - before

  the environmental agency issued flood warnings for parts of Cornwall with residents told to expect tides to be around 400 mm

  this gave people time to prepare their homes ; sand bags, move furniture upstairs, flood barriers
• UK response -

  The RAF was drafted to help relief efforts in Lancashire with people stranded and with police struggling to cope

  helps relief pressure on the struggling police - more people were rescued - less casualties - more people safe
• UK response -

  soldiers were deployed in Edinburgh to transport 200 NHS clinical and support staff to the hospital

  this ensured that people had access to trained professionals at hospitals - more people were safe/alive - help the injured
• UK's response -

  military vehicles were called to help people stranded on the M63 in the Pennines - helped people get to safety - less casualties - more people are safe
• UK's response -

  it was recommended that rail travel should be avoided to and from Scotland and 50 stations were closed in Kent

  ensured people were safe at home