South West/Central Southern England Regional Weather Discussion 26/1/14 12z ------->

[dancing daisy]

Camera crews are everywhere! Loads of hee hawing and pointless gov't ministers banging on to get press coverage, but ultimately nothing will be done

 

Cynical? Moi?

 

So, more rain forecast then?

[Bristawl Si]

It's more often than not the govt servants who screw up - the Minister tends to be the fall guy in these circumstances. Although, granted, Patterson didnt come across well on the coverage on local news today.

Environment agency appears the greatest culprit to me - govt civil servants. Often a lack of accountability in these govt depts these days.

Never really understood why humans elect to live on land beneath sea level, but that's another issue.

[Andy Bown]

I just cannot believe that looking forward we have only 1 dry cold day (Thursday) to look forward to. I seriously would love 4 or 5 days of 4c maxxes under cloudy dry conditions simply to alleviate some of the water problems! I actually wouldn't bet against the LOW and its' fronts not clearing properly so that Thursday ends up showery/damp as well then Friday's new LOW steams in leaving us with 12 hours dry at most!

 

My wettest month record (since starting in 2006) went early yesterday and today's heavy showers have taken me up to 240mm which added to December is 453mm in 7 weeks, although with the dry start to December it's more like 440mm in less than 6 weeks which is ridiculous!

[Beast of Plympton]

Dartmoor is where those mean smokers live

Hey! I stopped smoking 4 weeks ago now!

[dec10snow]

About the Somerset levels; just seen the news where locals were shouting at this minister guy about dredging etc but if I'm honest, they live on a floodplain... Nothing against the people who live there, but if they do, they should expect flooding shouldn't they? It's called a floodplain for a reason! I agree, this is extreme, but that is sort of my point, no amount of dredging is going to stop it flooding when it's this extreme - 25 square miles underwater now I heard on the news, and this dredging isn't going to let the river hold 25 square miles worth of water a couple of feet deep, is it!

They are doing what they can in terms of pumping as well - the largest pumping operation to ever take place in Somerset is underway now, so it's not like they aren't doing anything...

Rant over!

[Polar Bear]

About the Somerset levels; just seen the news where locals were shouting at this minister guy about dredging etc but if I'm honest, they live on a floodplain... Nothing against the people who live there, but if they do, they should expect flooding shouldn't they? It's called a floodplain for a reason! I agree, this is extreme, but that is sort of my point, no amount of dredging is going to stop it flooding when it's this extreme - 25 square miles underwater now I heard on the news, and this dredging isn't going to let the river hold 25 square miles worth of water a couple of feet deep, is it! They are doing what they can in terms of pumping as well - the largest pumping operation to ever take place in Somerset is underway now, so it's not like they aren't doing anything...Rant over!

. No good rant and you are right. There is a bigger picture and the dozy lot dredging encourages faster flows so a chance of more flooding and more dangerous. You will like this article then and whilst it is very long take your time to read and digest the points.. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

[ARTDEMOLE]

4.9c. Pressure  997.1 hpa.

[Polar Bear]

Good to see the locals on the Somerset levels letting that government minister now how they feel, perhaps now the government will get off their backsides and do something to help with the serious flooding issues!

Sorry but do what exactly? Stop the rain and relentlesss british weather falling on a floodplain, dredge a river so it flows faster and has more capacity to then overflow and do more damage to more people's lives and property. Stop people buying houses on historic floodplains? ... It could though I agree fund and help farmers and residents plant more trees , woods and hedgerows to encourage natures way of dealing with the excess. Some though not all.

[dec10snow]

. No good rant and you are right. There is a bigger picture and the dozy lot dredging encourages faster flows so a chance of more flooding and more dangerous. You will like this article then and whilst it is very long take your time to read and digest the points.. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

Very interesting read PB, all the points make very clear sense to me - well written article! I encourage others to read this as well!

[Argyle1980]

Sadly some of those houses have been there for many of years but the end of the day the rivers can't take anymore! The rivers are silted up and need managing.

Plus what's not helping is contenued attack from the Atlantic .......

As this one comming in over Friday - Saturday morning.....

Edited January 27, 2014 by Argyle1980

[Argyle1980]

My hunt for snow is not important anymore..... It's a good bit of HP that's needed now.

Take care everyone

[Frosty_wsm]

Sorry but do what exactly? Stop the rain and relentlesss british weather falling on a floodplain, dredge a river so it flows faster and has more capacity to then overflow and do more damage to more people's lives and property. Stop people buying houses on historic floodplains? ... It could though I agree fund and help farmers and residents plant more trees , woods and hedgerows to encourage natures way of dealing with the excess. Some though not all.

Do what you say, well how about getting the pumps down there, which thankfully they have now but it shouldn't have taken a visit by a government minister for that simple thing to happen, so I can see why the residents acted the way they did towards him!

[Polar Bear]

Do what you say, well how about getting the pumps down there, which thankfully they have now but it shouldn't have taken a visit by a government minister for that simple thing to happen, so I can see why the residents acted the way they did towards him!

. True absolutely, I can see why too ( been flooded myself and they have had to wait a ridiculous length of time) although the EA did get the pumps for them not as at the request of government which the media has us believe. I do think too that they should have had a go at Government to ensure such investment is never scaled back. It is just some need a bit more wider thinking. Hope for them sake too that the weather due at the weekend doesn't come off. It is so miserable....when will it end.

[Polar Bear]

Poor Jo Farrow.. I bet she hates writing up these now .. Either that if she can write then in her sleep. More Rain... http://www.netweather.tv/

I am very tempted now to take great faith in the long rain forecasts to be sure that there is an end sometime and that we do get a spring/summer.. Anyone checked these yet?

[knocker]

Another showery day ahead. A brief respite then back to normal, At least no snow in these parts.

 

At the moment Cu with a temp of 7C, wind westerly 20mph gusting45.

 

 

[knocker]

Looking at the ECMWF run they appear to be going for very little in major changes and still relatively mild overall.

 

 

 

[andybk]

. No good rant and you are right. There is a bigger picture and the dozy lot dredging encourages faster flows so a chance of more flooding and more dangerous. You will like this article then and whilst it is very long take your time to read and digest the points.. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/13/flooding-public-spending-britain-europe-policies-homes

 

 

 If you dredge the rivers , it gets water away in the drier summer months allowing the land to dry out , which in turn gives a greater area to soak up excess water in winter , problem in recent years is  RSPB and other nature based organisations campaigning to keep water table higher in summer .so when it rains in winter it just sits on the surface or worse   Just what they think happens to the badgers ,foxes and other small mammals in winter covered by an inland sea is beyond me . . .

[festivalking]

Possible wintery ppn over the moors late saturday into sunday morning according to gfs ppn charts and the met office weather app. One to watch out for.....until it downgrades again.

[Coast]

Temperatures to drop to below freezing and heavy rain set to continue as Met Office weather warning hits

 

Temperatures are expected to drop to below freezing this week and heavy rain is set to continue across North Devon. The Met Office predicts temperatures could drop to as low as 2C in Barnstapletomorrow and to below zero on Thursday. A severe weather warning of heavy rain was issued for most of North Devon and Torridge from 9pm last night until 11.45pm this evening.

 

A chief forecaster at the Met Office said: “A very unsettled start to this week is expected as an area of low pressure moves slowly southwards across Britain. "Bands of heavy showers forming on the southern flank of this area of low pressure will stream across much of southern England.

 

“Frequent showers, some heavy, will bring a further 10-15mm and locally up to 25mm rain to parts of southern England later on Monday and into Tuesday. There is the risk of up to 40 mm of rain on the high ground of southwest England. “The public should be aware of the potential for disruption due to localised flooding, especially where the ground is already saturated.â€

 

Forecasters believe the heavy showers will continue throughout the week and, on Thursday, the wind is set to turn to an easterly direction causing temperatures to fall even further to as low as -2C during the night. Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: “Temperatures will drop to zero or 1C – this is a cause of concern with icy roads likely to be a problem.†Predicted heavy rain on Sunday morning fell mostly in Cornwall, with Devon and Somerset receiving around 6-10mm.

 

 

 

 http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Temperatures-drop-freezing-week-heavy-rain/story-20505535-detail/story.html#ixzz2rgIQcp3G

[Mapantz]

What happened to all these showers? Another warning which seems unjustified! The BBC have cocked up again too, I was supposed to be having builders around to start the chimney today but they rang last night to say they're doing indoor jobs because of the forecasted weather and the warning, we haven't had a shower all night & all morning, it's sunny and dry, going back through the radar shows that nothing substantial has fallen in the last 12hrs, apart from Cornwall, which isn't in a warning zone.

 

8.7C and

[Dorsetbred]

What happened to all these showers? Another warning which seems unjustified! The BBC have cocked up again too, I was supposed to be having builders around to start the chimney today but they rang last night to say they're doing indoor jobs because of the forecasted weather and the warning, we haven't had a shower all night & all morning, it's sunny and dry, going back through the radar shows that nothing substantial has fallen in the last 12hrs, apart from Cornwall, which isn't in a warning zone.

 

8.7C and

Even the MetO yellow warning posted yesterday & today for our area hasn't come off, so it's not JUST the Beeb, it comes from a higher source.

[Mapantz]

Even the MetO yellow warning posted yesterday & today for our area hasn't come off, so it's not JUST the Beeb, it comes from a higher source.

 

Another warning out tomorrow too, enjoy a sunny and dry day then?!

[SteveB]

Supposed to be continuous showers today, but hardly had any, and what we have had has been light and patchy.

[Mapantz]

Supposed to be continuous showers today, but hardly had any, and what we have had has been light and patchy.

 

I completely understand the nature of showers and their localisation but this time, they didn't materialise like the BBC showed, the heaviest have been out in the channel.

The MO should have left the original warning that they put out at the weekend, it just covered the south east (IoW to Kent)

The radar is looking rather colourful  at the moment though, I'll probably end up with 25mm of rain by midnight.. hehe

Edited January 28, 2014 by Mapantz

[knocker]

Pop down here as there have been quite a few heavy showers.