Floods and Tornadoes



Path of destruction as tornadoes hit UK

September, 24, 2007

Tornadoes have caused widespread damage to homes and businesses across the UK as the country experiences a spate of freak weather.
They struck Hampshire, the West Midlands, Bedfordshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.
In the West Midlands, around 35 homes are said to have been damaged when one hit Nuneaton just after 6am and lasted several minutes.

Mallard Avenue is said to be one of the worst affected streets in the town, with cars damaged as roof tiles were blown off.
Police sealed it off as fire crews attended the scene, working on the roofs of two houses which were among several properties damaged.
Meanwhile, a tree came down near the Bucksford pub in Bucks Hill while in Trafford Drive, around 20 homes were damaged, a Warwickshire Police spokeswoman said.

And in Farnborough, Hants, 20 homes were hit, with a roof torn off a garage and trees uprooted, the fire service said. Other reports said bus shelters had been uprooted.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire Service said it hit homes on Rother Road, Cove. "There are no reports of any injuries. We have three fire crews up there assessing damage," he said.

In Luton, Beds, a tornado ripped through gardens and tore tiles off roofs.

Terrence Meaden, deputy head of tornado research group Torro, said Luton was hit at 6.45am. He said: "I have spoken with a witness who saw the tornado funnel at ground level going through her garden."

Dr Meaden said separate reports of strong winds causing a "horrendous" noise that blew down trees and lifted roof tiles in Nottingham at about 6.30am "sounded like a tornado".

He said the weather system that caused the tornadoes was over Exeter, Devon, at 4am and travelled eastwards, passing Nuneaton and Luton before going out into the North Sea.

A spokeswoman for the Met Office said weather conditions conducive to tornadoes are travelling across the country.

She said: "The weather conditions at the time were conducive to tornados. The weather system that we are going through at the moment - very windy with heavy rain - is travelling across the country.

"Although the tornado itself wouldn't be travelling across, the conditions that give rise to the tornado are."

According to Torro, on average, 33 tornadoes are reported annually in the UK, although the figure can fluctuate dramatically from year to year.

Heavy winds and torrential downpours have led to a miserable morning for commuters with services cancelled or badly delayed on a number of lines as train companies struggled to cope.

One of the worst-hit lines was First Capital Connect where some trains were cancelled and others delayed because of overhead wire problems in the St Albans area in Hertfordshire.

Signalling problems at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, also led to delays to services between Letchworth Garden City and Hitchin.

Overhead wire problems led to a suspension of services between Grays and Upminster in Essex on the London to Tilbury and Southend line c2c.

Both SWT and Southeastern reported delays to services due to slippery rails, while SWT confirmed that it would be introducing a revised timetable from October 1 to include longer journey times due to autumn track conditions.

Virgin Trains, Hull Trains and East Coast main line operator GNER were also hit by delays between Doncaster and York because of a problem with a river bridge.

*******

July, 23, 2007
SEVERE FLOODING IN SOME PARTS OF ENGLAND
Drinking water supplies have started to run out in some areas of England worst affected by the flooding.

Severn Trent Water says 150,000 homes are without water in Gloucestershire after a treatment works was flooded.

Power supplies to 500,000 people in Gloucestershire are also threatened and the RAF has been drafted in to protect a substation at risk of flooding.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee Cobra.

This involves several ministers and the Chief Constable of Gloucestershire Police, Tim Brain.

Mr Brown will visit flood-hit areas on Monday.

Earlier, Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young told the BBC that about £1bn a year was needed to improve flood defences.

She said more investment was essential because climate change would lead to increased rainfall, but added: "It will take some time to get flood defences into place and it won't completely remove the risk of flooding."