South East & East Anglia Regional Weather Discussion 16/01/14

[Great Plum]

Following on from this, work have stated the following travel issues for the local area (Reigate)

Road Closure:

A22 at Godstone, between A25 Oxted Road and Tilburstow Hill Road

Road flooding and delays:

A23 Brighton Road, Salfords at Honeycrock lane

A23 Horley, Cambridge Hotel

A23 Pease Pottage

M23 West Sussex, Junction 10a at B2036 Balcombe Road

A217 Reigate Road, Sidlow (flooding at Irons Bottom Road)

A24 Dorking Road, Kingsfold, Marches Road

A25 Station Road, Gomshall – flooding at Colekitchen Lane

A251 Horsham Road between B2130 Elmbridge Road

A283 Godalming bypass Milford, at Old Elstead Road

A283 Petworth Road, Chiddingfold, Coxcombe Lane

A308 London Road, Staines

Lonesome lane, Horley - closed

Flanchford and Brockham Bridges Closed

Trains:

Southern – Tonbridge to Redhill no service due to flooding at Nutfield

- Brighton to East Croydon severely disrupted due to flooding at Balcombe

- Horsham to Dorking disrupted due to landslide at Ockley

First Capital Connect – Brighton to City Thamelink disrupted due to flooding at Balcombe

Hope that helps anyone trying to get home!

[Snowangel-MK]

Hope that helps anyone trying to get home!

Sounds like a helicopter taxi service would be more help but thanks for posting GP at least people know which way not to try and go !

[Jax]

Afternoon all

 

Home (and dry for a change) and in for a 3 day weekend

 

Sunny at the mo, had some fleeting and at times heavy showers today, must admit either I am getting older (which technically I am) or it seems to be getting a bit colder too.

[Essexwader]

Flooding here there and just about everywhere, one solution is to plant more trees as tree covered land absorbs 67 times as much water as grassland.

There used to be grants for tree planting BUT CAP now requires landowners to remove unwanted vegetation if they are to receive any payments from Government!!!!!

Here's the detail: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

I'm afraid it's the Guardian however the facts speak for themselves.

Almost 50% blue here now the sun is setting - lull before Storm?

[Great Plum]

Sounds like a helicopter taxi service would be more help but thanks for posting GP at least people know which way not to try and go !

Hovercraft needed? Seriously, Horley is virtually cut off - take care!

[Storme]

We went to East Grinstead this morning. Three Bridges was under water. Several very deep foods all the way there. Charlwood was nearly cut off but subsiding a little now. Mole at Gatwick burst worse than Christmas Eve. The A22 from Balcombe was closed, as is the Crawley end of our road. The flooding in general is generally worse and the forecast I gather is for more persistent rain to come.

Oh and the sunroom is STILL leaking!

[Jax]

We went to East Grinstead this morning. Three Bridges was under water. Several very deep foods all the way there. Charlwood was nearly cut off but subsiding a little now. Mole at Gatwick burst worse than Christmas Eve. The A22 from Balcombe was closed, as is the Crawley end of our road. The flooding in general is generally worse and the forecast I gather is for more persistent rain to come.Oh and the sunroom is STILL leaking!

Yes more rain tonight and tomorrow expected, it is not looking good.

[NO LONGER POSTING]

And now we take a look at the weekends weather with Luke Goodall..

 

"Cough" Hows it looking Luke?

 

"Well, there is rain on the cards, followed by showers of rain.. And they are being followed by.. Oh yes.. RAIN!!!"

 

Well think about it like these.. If you have all the rain now.. That can only mean a dry hot summer with a humid thundery break down? Wishful thinking? OH YES MY BOY!

[Reefseeker]

Just have to do a quick 'wow, I don't believe it' post. Walked along the Thames towards Kingston with the lad at 2.30, marvelling how we had our tow path back and it was no longer flooded, especially given the overnight rain. One hour later, half of it was impassable for the return walk; clearly all that had fallen upstream had made its way to Kingston and is presumably now flooding all in its path as it makes its way further down the Thames. Thank goodness the Riverside Vegetaria had kept its sandbags in place from last week!

 

Last week the restaurant had the water receding nicely - waterline on the sandbags:

 

 

And here are a few pics from today where we had walked less than an hour before (with Riverside Vegetaria visible on far right of picture 1 with water lapping its doors again):

 

Edited January 17, 2014 by Reefseeker

[lawrenk]

I've a feeling that before long we might have some interesting FI Charts to look at in terms of cold and snow.

 

I base this not on my own limited reading of the models but from those more learned posters on the main thread, though "Shannon Entropy" doesn't seem to have a clue what's going on.

 

Whether any eye candy verifies is anyones guess but it will be nice at least to have some hope!

[Reefseeker]

Great pictures Reef, pleased to report no rain in the last hour now, that's a first today. Quite a few potholes appeared on the main roads in Gravesend since Xmas, difficult to see and avoid today as rain filled. If it does get cold (oh please!) think lots more will appear very quickly. 

 

 

Yep, drove through a huge one that sent the car rocking from side to side on the way back from Kingston; you're right, if we get the much hoped for cold in February it will be a summer of road works again or car damage or both....

[Charltonkerry]

Yeah, just got in, Dartford bridge good. In Harlow been a succession of heavy showers.

But how about this I saw my first snowflake today, bet no one will believe me! But when I opened my mail a snow flake fluttered out onto the flood and laid there looking at me, I bent to pick it up (which was an effort) and yes, it was a perfectly formed gold snowflake. The letter accompanying it, said as a fellow of the institute of refrigeration I should wear it with pride and I should continue to promote the industry. So I will, will you all please go out and buy a fridge please, otherwise they may take my snowflake away. Think its a tie pin not sure, will I wear it, doubt it, is it real gold, no.

Must admit to being worried for our roads, if a cold spells hits now then the pot holes will get very large as ice will cause the Tarmac to crack even more, think it could be a major problem.

Edited January 17, 2014 by Charltonkerry

[HighPressure]

Here are some photos from my area taken earlier today: http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/pictures/GALLERY-Flooding-Sevenoaks-today/pictures-20458631-detail/pictures.html

Lucky I live on the downs over looking the river, but if anyone has a boat for sale let me know

[Snowangel-MK]

2014-01-17 15.42.41.jpg

Walk your cycle needs to be changed to swim your cycle along that underwater path !!

[Snowangel-MK]

Hovercraft needed? Seriously, Horley is virtually cut off - take care!

Well yes it would be a lot less bother in a hover - I just hope the floods don't cause any accidents or loss of life - there has been a serious RTA in MK today, not sure of the cause but surface water certainly wouldn't have helped, we had a torrential downpour at the time as you can see ....

[Reefseeker]

Walk your cycle needs to be changed to swim your cycle along that underwater path !!

 

Agreed, perhaps with some scuba gear; I'm also taken with the idea of sitting on a bench in the river and paddling one's feet, perhaps with an ice-cream imagining we are in Coast's fantasy summer?

[stun12]

Here are some photos from my area taken earlier today: http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/pictures/GALLERY-Flooding-Sevenoaks-today/pictures-20458631-detail/pictures.html

Lucky I live on the downs over looking the river, but if anyone has a boat for sale let me know

 

I was dragged up there for my first 18 years, but have to say that I didn't recognise any of the places where the flooding took place..to be honest, I can't even think of a river, unless it's to do with Bradbourne Lakes - much of which is a new housing estate, I believe - or Otford, which always used to flood. When will they learn that they're called flood plains for a reason? 

[john pike]

hi all

 

heres ukmo at 144

 

just to try to cheer everyone up

 

 

how close is that??

[Numpty]

Looks like you lot have had it a bit rough again

 

I hope you all get a few dry days (on the outside) soon

Take care all

 

ps.up here we've had one of them no weather days

[HighPressure]

I was dragged up there for my first 18 years, but have to say that I didn't recognise any of the places where the flooding took place..to be honest, I can't even think of a river, unless it's to do with Bradbourne Lakes - much of which is a new housing estate, I believe - or Otford, which always used to flood. When will they learn that they're called flood plains for a reason?

Its the river Dareth which comes from Westerham through Sundridge and feeds into Bradboune Lakes then off through Otford. The main problem has been the A25 which runs alongside the river.

[stun12]

Some reminder of February 2012, just so that we can have hope beyond the current rice-growing season (though it feels chilly out there, despite being apparently a mild 7.5c)

 

 

[Iceni]

I was dragged up there for my first 18 years, but have to say that I didn't recognise any of the places where the flooding took place..to be honest, I can't even think of a river, unless it's to do with Bradbourne Lakes - much of which is a new housing estate, I believe - or Otford, which always used to flood. When will they learn that they're called flood plains for a reason? 

 

Indeed. I remember lots of these familiar place names from my youth in the 1960s flooding... particularly around West/East Sussex. Nothing new, but remember 20 years ago, the Lavant (near Chichester) flooding - they'd built a new conduit which contained the stream instead of letting it flow into the water meadows. And sure enough it flooded the village and road the very next year.

[shotski]

Evening all,

 

Thank Fruit it's Friday.

 

Get your sledges and snow shovels ready folks , spring could be a long time coming.

[dubmuffin]

This is just getting crazy - so much water. My boss had trouble getting in from East Grinstead today, it was the worst journey he's had yet. On a positive note, this has happened which has become a bit of a must see if you live around here - we'd quite like to keep it:

 

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10922848.Then_and_now__River_Wandle_source_flows_for_the_first_time_in_15_years/

[stun12]

Indeed. I remember lots of these familiar place names from my youth in the 1960s flooding... particularly around West/East Sussex. Nothing new, but remember 20 years ago, the Lavant (near Chichester) flooding - they'd built a new conduit which contained the stream instead of letting it flow into the water meadows. And sure enough it flooded the village and road the very next year.

 

I live about 2 miles from Bodiam, which has apparently flooded forever - the castle (which was a vanity project rather than a defensive device) was built a few yards uphill from the River Rother to avoid the all too frequent overflows. Even the Castle Inn, built I think in the 1700's, is positioned up some steps from the flood plain. So the road disappears every so often under riverwater. There seems to be a lot of 'unprecedented' talk around with the current, most unpleasant - and for some dangerous and damaging - conditions. But we've definitely been here before.