UK Weather Hazards

• Location of Somerset

  • County in south-west England
  • Somerset Levels and Somerset Moors form an extensive area of low-lying area of farmland and wetlands
  • Area is drained by several rivers
  • Flooding has occurred naturally here for centuries
• Background

  • 2014 - wettest January since records began 1910
  • Lots of rain fell on already saturated ground, and coincided with high tides and storm surges, causing extensive flooding of the Levels
  • Rivers had not been dredged regularly for 20 years, reducing their capacity
• Social Impacts

  • More than 600 homes flooded
  • Villages such as Mulchelney cut off by road, and only way out was by boat
  • Major transport links closed or disrupted
• Economic Impacts

  • Total cost of damage was estimated at over £80 million
• Environmental Impacts

  • Standing water made the ground toxic and unproductive for over a year - loss of nutrients and damage to soil decreased the long-term fertility of land
  • Tonnes of mud and debris left by floods, damaging vegetation
• Management strategies before the flood

  • Warning systems gave people time to prepare
  • Individuals and local authorities used sandbags and floorboards to try and limit flood damage to homes
• Long term responses

  • Government has set up the Somerset Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan - a 20 year plan which aims to limit the risk of future flooding
  • £100 million will be spent on:
  • Regular dredging of the rivers Parrett and Tone
  • Building a tidal barrage at Bridgwater
  • Widening the river channels
• Proof of UK weather becoming more extreme

  • UK temp has increased by about 1% since 1980
  • December 2010 coldest month for over 100 years
  • December 2015 wettest month ever recorded
  • UK's 10 warmest years have occurred since 1990
  • 2018 was the joint hottest summer on record
  • Over 17,000 trains cancelled in 2014 due to freezing conditions and flights were delayed