Severe Atlantic storms February 2014

[Carl]

question is is the traffic light system too vague actually very confusing.  Sure this makes alot people complacent to dangers and perils. There should links to risk factor of existing issues.  Like more rain in already flooded area. 

 

No. The Met Office is there to forecast the meteorological conditions, not flood risk and other matters - that is for the Environment Agency.

 

What you're going to end up with, in your scenario is a tiny bit of rain attracting red warnings and people getting irritated and ignoring them.

 

Ultimately, people are responsible for reading the warnings they feel they ought to. You can't over-account for ignorance and stupidity.

[AWD]

I can't see any timings on these.....do you have any?

[Summer Sun]

Severe Flood Warning For River Severn

 

The Environment Agency has told residents to "take action now" as it issued a severe flood warning for the River Severn tonight. The warning for Alney Island near Gloucester comes ahead of a new storm, which is due to sweep across Britain tomorrow.  A peak of 4.7 metres in the water level is expected overnight and by 5pm it was at 4.46 metres. The warning said: "A severe flood warning has been issued due to the potential flooding of houses and static homes from the overtopping of flood defences at Alney Island."

 

Alerts for the Severn in Worcestershire have been in place for days with the river reaching its highest level since records began. A lot of money has been spent on defences on the river since the massive floods of 2007. After hurricane force winds of Wild Wednesday, many areas will see gusts of 60-80mph as well as heavy rain and snow on Friday - with Wales and the South West likely to be hit the hardest. Flooding continues on the Somerset Levels and Moors and there is still a high risk of coastal flooding in Dorset.

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1211254/severe-flood-warning-for-river-severn

Edited February 13, 2014 by Summer Sun

[Mapantz]

Re the MO forecasts, I'm down for 60mph+ gusts for 6 hours, as I've said a few times, that's more than I've been forecasted to get during this whole Winter, not looking good at all.

Edited February 13, 2014 by Mapantz

[stubbys]

Storm Nation Special on sky 1 at 8pm tonight, covering this bizarre weather we have had this winter

[island lad]

Programme on sky 1 HD at 8pm about storms this winter.

[Carl]

Storm Nation Special on sky 1 at 8pm tonight, covering this bizarre weather we have had this winter

 

Bizarre. Really?

 

Just seems we've had a fair few autumn storms which have carried on for a while.

 

I don't think it is particularly unusual.

[johnholmes]

Bizarre. Really?

 

Just seems we've had a fair few autumn storms which have carried on for a while.

 

I don't think it is particularly unusual.

 

 

you have to be joking, look at some of the statistics regarding rainfall, amount of wind, etc etc, the link to the Met O briefing is well worth reading, think it is on another thread but it lists the factors I have mentioned. Wettest probably for over 200 years that is unusual I would have thought on its own. I cannot recall a winter like this and I can have a reasonable recall over 65 years!

[vladthemert]

re your break into programmes, that was done some 40 years ago, but no longer, don't ask me why, e mail Met and BBC for their answer

re the sting jet idea, too many on here use the term too often

the traffic light system was devised precisely because the public were confused by the previous system

not sure what you mean about the red warning for your area, you are east of me and neither you nor me were ever likely to be needing a red warning, amber covered it well in my view, maximum gust of around 70 mph at Doncaster airport, not sure what Humberside reported?

 

 

checked up we got 25.7 m/s  7pm roughly sustained until 8pm remember being worried at time then slightly less 25.2 m/s 8pm then dropping so not quite 70mph strong enough here drop huge tree peoples park onto van that posted earlier.

 

However this station leeming more closer that recorded 67mph  holbeach down south us 75mph.

 

just think we need to look potential damage risk better way getting that risk out to people better.  I saw people trying to walk with kids home from school could been alot worse as it started around 3pm here.

[weirpig]

Bizarre. Really?

 

Just seems we've had a fair few autumn storms which have carried on for a while.

 

I don't think it is particularly unusual.

No nothing unusual    wettest december on record followed by a wettest january on record   storm after storm   100 s of villages under water.   typical winter really

[Carl]

you have to be joking, look at some of the statistics regarding rainfall, amount of wind, etc etc, the link to the Met O briefing is well worth reading, think it is on another thread but it lists the factors I have mentioned. Wettest probably for over 200 years that is unusual I would have thought on its own. I cannot recall a winter like this and I can have a reasonable recall over 65 years!

 

200 years isn't much of a frame of reference though is it?

 

Statistically speaking, ignoring the elephant in the room, you're going to get winters every now and again which massively skew towards one type of event or another.

 

We've had a few bad storms here but not one of them would I say in isolation stood out as being something untoward. If I didn't watch the news or read things online, I'd not have given them a second thought.

[Dancerwithwings]

AWD....Any chance of a link to them charts

[AWD]

AWD....Any chance of a link to them charts

It's part of an app.

http://www.metdesk.com/?page_id=1123

Edited February 13, 2014 by AWD

[P-M]

200 years isn't much of a frame of reference though is it?

 

Statistically speaking, ignoring the elephant in the room, you're going to get winters every now and again which massively skew towards one type of event or another.

 

We've had a few bad storms here but not one of them would I say in isolation stood out as being something untoward. If I didn't watch the news or read things online, I'd not have given them a second thought.

 

 

You're missing the point though - it might well be a freak winter and next will be "normal" in which case it makes this year all the more bizarre and very unusual compared to previous years surely?

 

Also you need to analyse the bigger picture not each storm in isolation - although we have had more one in x amount of years storms this winter than any other for a long time.  Low pressure readings within the system, massive amounts of rainfall and whole towns and villages under water for weeks is not usual nor normal.

Edited February 13, 2014 by P-M

[tinybill]

It's part of an app.

http://www.metdesk.com/?page_id=1123

its  rain alarm !!

[Jimmyh]

Bizarre. Really? Just seems we've had a fair few autumn storms which have carried on for a while. I don't think it is particularly unusual.

Sorry have to take a comment here.... 31 and counting depressions at the end of January since the first of December. I posted earlier 120 emails total from the mo since 17th dec. please don't say that is nothing unusual. Record levels of rainfall. Water coming out if boreholes. Not just trickling out pumping out. This will go down in history for a number of reasons. The Xmas Eve Eve storm. At Jude the storm that hit 100mph regularly over Wales yesterday and a potential big mother of a storm waiting to say hello tomorrow night. May not have been impressive to you but has filled numerous pages on netweather storm pages!!!!

[Carl]

You're missing the point though - it might well be a freak winter and next will be "normal" in which case it makes this year all the more bizarre and very unusual compared to previous years surely?

 

Yeah, I see where you're coming from.

 

For me, a memorable winter will be that of a few years back when we seemed to have snow and ice on the ground for best part of three months, when there was a pile of ice in my street until mid April, when icicles grew 8 feet long from my house.

 

Bit of wind and splash of rain just ain't all that "sexy"!

[johnholmes]

200 years isn't much of a frame of reference though is it?

 

Statistically speaking, ignoring the elephant in the room, you're going to get winters every now and again which massively skew towards one type of event or another.

 

We've had a few bad storms here but not one of them would I say in isolation stood out as being something untoward. If I didn't watch the news or read things online, I'd not have given them a second thought.

 

I have to smile at the first sentence,

200years is well over 2 lifetimes so neither of us would expect, even if we were only 1 year old to see another!

[Love Snow]

Paul Hudson sums it up very well

With much more rainfall on the way in the coming days across all parts of the UK, this winter is certain to end up one of the wettest ever recorded.

The level of coverage in the media of the resulting flooding across the UK has been virtually unprecedented in the last few weeks.

The pictures of extensive flooding in Somerset, and the battering our coast has received, particularly in Cornwall, have been breath-taking.

But it is worth putting the current flood in context, and as distressing as it is to be flooded, the number of properties affected in the south of the UK is tiny compared to other floods in previous years.

For example, up until this weekend the total number of properties affected by floodwater in Somerset in the last few weeks is 40.

But during the coastal surge in early December last year, 688 properties were flooded along the Yorkshire coast alone, and according to the Environment Agency, flood defences protected 66,000 properties in the Yorkshire and Humber area at that time.

Since last week, between 800 and 900 properties have flooded in the UK, primarily in southern Britain.

Although this number may rise significantly in the next few days, particularly with the Thames now at record levels in relatively highly populated parts of Berkshire and Surrey, it is still comparatively small compared to the last big flood to hit the UK.

That was In June 2007 and far more people were affected; in the Yorkshire and Humber region alone, a staggering 23,479 homes were flooded, along with 3,718 businesses.

[P-M]

Yeah, I see where you're coming from.

 

For me, a memorable winter will be that of a few years back when we seemed to have snow and ice on the ground for best part of three months, when there was a pile of ice in my street until mid April, when icicles grew 8 feet long from my house.

 

Bit of wind and splash of rain just ain't all that "sexy"!

 

 

But to be fair the people flooded out of their homes for weeks on end would not not see it as a splash of rain.  You need to not see this from an IMBY perspective and understand the bigger picture.  The south have not had just a splash of rain and the amount of LP systems that have battered that region is very unusual mate - very different compared to other winters.

[johnholmes]

Yeah, I see where you're coming from.

 

For me, a memorable winter will be that of a few years back when we seemed to have snow and ice on the ground for best part of three months, when there was a pile of ice in my street until mid April, when icicles grew 8 feet long from my house.

 

 ah if only our memories were as accurate as the statistics

[Rammie]

200 years isn't much of a frame of reference though is it?

 

Statistically speaking, ignoring the elephant in the room, you're going to get winters every now and again which massively skew towards one type of event or another.

 

We've had a few bad storms here but not one of them would I say in isolation stood out as being something untoward. If I didn't watch the news or read things online, I'd not have given them a second thought.

Errm..........surely that is simply because of where you are. 

[stubbys]

The programme description actually describes it as 'a winter unlike any other' I thought bizarre was a better word but maybe not, anyhow I'm going to watch it because I can't recall a winter like it, even the lack of cold, despite the storms.

[JK1]

At least it not torrent of floods racing through towns and places that would be even more devasating.

Edited February 13, 2014 by JK1

[Keraunic]

Bizarre. Really? Just seems we've had a fair few autumn storms which have carried on for a while. I don't think it is particularly unusual.

Hmmm.....try telling that to those people who live and work in the badly flooded areas. I'm sure they'd be very happy to hear that it's not really unusual. Tsk!