uk weather hazard case study

Weather case studies

A selection of case studies of different types of severe weather.

Boscastle Floods

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UK Weather Hazards

Weather hazards in the uk.

The UK experiences the following weather hazards:

• Cardiff is the UK's wettest city, with 115cm of rain each year.
• If there is too much rainfall, areas can flood. In 2004, Boscastle town in Cornwall flooded after heavy rain.
• People can be trapped in their homes, the foundations of houses can be damaged and people can drown.
• Repairing flood damage is very expensive and houses on areas vulnerable to flooding can be impossible to insure.

• Wind in the UK is rarely as strong as Hurricane Patricia's 345km/h winds.
• However, Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis in 2020 caused the UK's Avanti railway lines and airports like Heathrow to cancel trains and flights.
• Many areas in Yorkshire and Wales were flooded and people were killed by falling trees.
• The UK coast and upland regions suffer from the strongest winds in the UK.

Snow and ice

• Slipping on ice can cause head injuries that kill some people.
• Homeless people are particularly vulnerable to the cold and many die in the winter each year.
• If there is too much snow, businesses may be forced to shut, along with schools, railway lines, roads, and airports.
• Harsh, cold winters can kill crops or reduce crop yields, causing problems for farmers, and potentially causing food shortages.

Hailstorms and thunderstorms

• Cyclones are rare in the UK. Thunderstorms with torrential rain, thunder and lightning are more common.
• During the summer, hailstorms still possible. Hailstones fall and they can break windows and reduce visibility on roads, potentially causing injuries.

• Heat waves are extended periods of hot weather.
• If heatwaves go on too long, it can lead to periods of drought, like in Cape Town in 2019.
• Humans and animals can suffer from heat exhaustion and transport links can also be disrupted as rails buckle and the tarmac on roads melts. Trains often have to limit their speed to 50mph in very hot conditions.

• Drought happens when an area does not get enough precipitation.
• Water supplies and reservoirs can dry up. This can lead to a lack of drinking water and crop failures if there is not enough irrigation.
• The UK government sometimes introduces hosepipe bans to preserve water in these situations.

Changing Weather in the UK

The UK's weather has become increasingly extreme in recent decades.

Temperature

• The UK's 10 hottest years on record (since 1884) have all been since 2002.
• The winter of 2010-2011 was the coldest winter since early records in 1659.

• December 2015 was the wettest month on record in the UK and temperatures were 4.1 degrees celsius higher than average for December.

• Boscastle (2004)
• South Wales (2020 - Storm Ciara & Storm Dennis)
• West Wales (2012).
• Cumbria (2005, 2009 and 2015).

1 The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1 Natural Hazards

1.1.1 Types of Natural Hazards

1.1.2 Hazard Risk

1.1.3 Consequences of Natural Hazards

1.1.4 End of Topic Test - Natural Hazards

1.1.5 Exam-Style Questions - Natural Hazards

1.2 Tectonic Hazards

1.2.1 Tectonic Plates

1.2.2 Tectonic Plates & Convection Currents

1.2.3 Plate Margins

1.2.4 Volcanoes

1.2.5 Effects of Volcanoes

1.2.6 Responses to Volcanic Eruptions

1.2.7 Earthquakes

1.2.8 Earthquakes 2

1.2.9 Responses to Earthquakes

1.2.10 Case Studies: The L'Aquila & Kashmir Earthquakes

1.2.11 Earthquake Case Study: Chile 2010

1.2.12 Earthquake Case Study: Nepal 2015

1.2.13 Living with Tectonic Hazards 1

1.2.14 Living with Tectonic Hazards 2

1.2.15 End of Topic Test - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.16 Exam-Style Questions - Tectonic Hazards

1.2.17 Tectonic Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.3 Weather Hazards

1.3.1 Global Atmospheric Circulation

1.3.2 Surface Winds

1.3.3 UK Weather Hazards

1.3.4 Tropical Storms

1.3.5 Features of Tropical Storms

1.3.6 Impact of Tropical Storms 1

1.3.7 Impact of Tropical Storms 2

1.3.8 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina

1.3.9 Tropical Storms Case Study: Haiyan

1.3.10 UK Weather Hazards Case Study: Somerset 2014

1.3.11 End of Topic Test - Weather Hazards

1.3.12 Exam-Style Questions - Weather Hazards

1.3.13 Weather Hazards - Statistical Skills

1.4 Climate Change

1.4.1 Evidence for Climate Change

1.4.2 Causes of Climate Change

1.4.3 Effects of Climate Change

1.4.4 Managing Climate Change

1.4.5 End of Topic Test - Climate Change

1.4.6 Exam-Style Questions - Climate Change

1.4.7 Climate Change - Statistical Skills

2 The Living World

2.1 Ecosystems

2.1.1 Ecosystems

2.1.2 Ecosystem Cascades & Global Ecosystems

2.1.3 Ecosystem Case Study: Freshwater Ponds

2.2 Tropical Rainforests

2.2.1 Tropical Rainforests - Intro & Interdependence

2.2.2 Adaptations

2.2.3 Biodiversity of Tropical Rainforests

2.2.4 Deforestation

2.2.5 Case Study: Deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest

2.2.6 Sustainable Management of Rainforests

2.2.7 Case Study: Malaysian Rainforest

2.2.8 End of Topic Test - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.9 Exam-Style Questions - Tropical Rainforests

2.2.10 Deforestation - Statistical Skills

2.3 Hot Deserts

2.3.1 Overview of Hot Deserts

2.3.2 Biodiversity & Adaptation to Hot Deserts

2.3.3 Case Study: Sahara Desert

2.3.4 Desertification

2.3.5 Case Study: Thar Desert

2.3.6 End of Topic Test - Hot Deserts

2.3.7 Exam-Style Questions - Hot Deserts

2.4 Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.1 Overview of Cold Environments

2.4.2 Adaptations in Cold Environments

2.4.3 Biodiversity in Cold Environments

2.4.4 Case Study: Alaska

2.4.5 Sustainable Management

2.4.6 Case Study: Svalbard

2.4.7 End of Topic Test - Tundra & Polar Environments

2.4.8 Exam-Style Questions - Cold Environments

3 Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.1.1 The UK Physical Landscape

3.2 Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.1 Types of Wave

3.2.2 Weathering & Mass Movement

3.2.3 Processes of Erosion & Wave-Cut Platforms

3.2.4 Headlands, Bays, Caves, Arches & Stacks

3.2.5 Transportation

3.2.6 Deposition

3.2.7 Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes

3.2.8 Case Study: Landforms on the Dorset Coast

3.2.9 Types of Coastal Management 1

3.2.10 Types of Coastal Management 2

3.2.11 Coastal Management Case Study - Holderness

3.2.12 Coastal Management Case Study: Swanage

3.2.13 Coastal Management Case Study - Lyme Regis

3.2.14 End of Topic Test - Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.2.15 Exam-Style Questions - Coasts

3.3 River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.1 The River Valley

3.3.2 River Valley Case Study - River Tees

3.3.3 Erosion

3.3.4 Transportation & Deposition

3.3.5 Waterfalls, Gorges & Interlocking Spurs

3.3.6 Meanders & Oxbow Lakes

3.3.7 Floodplains & Levees

3.3.8 Estuaries

3.3.9 Case Study: The River Clyde

3.3.10 River Management

3.3.11 Hard & Soft Flood Defences

3.3.12 River Management Case Study - Boscastle

3.3.13 River Management Case Study - Banbury

3.3.14 End of Topic Test - River Landscapes in the UK

3.3.15 Exam-Style Questions - Rivers

3.4 Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.1 Erosion

3.4.2 Landforms Caused by Erosion

3.4.3 Landforms Caused by Transportation & Deposition

3.4.4 Snowdonia

3.4.5 Land Use in Glaciated Areas

3.4.6 Tourism in Glacial Landscapes

3.4.7 Case Study - Lake District

3.4.8 End of Topic Test - Glacial Landscapes in the UK

3.4.9 Exam-Style Questions - Glacial Landscapes

4 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1 Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.1 Urbanisation

4.1.2 Urbanisation Case Study: Lagos

4.1.3 Urbanisation Case Study: Rio de Janeiro

4.1.4 UK Cities

4.1.5 Case Study: Urban Regen Projects - Manchester

4.1.6 Case Study: Urban Change in Liverpool

4.1.7 Case Study: Urban Change in Bristol

4.1.8 Sustainable Urban Life

4.1.9 End of Topic Test - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.10 Exam-Style Questions - Urban Issues & Challenges

4.1.11 Urban Issues -Statistical Skills

5 The Changing Economic World

5.1 The Changing Economic World

5.1.1 Measuring Development

5.1.2 Classifying Countries Based on Wealth

5.1.3 The Demographic Transition Model

5.1.4 Physical & Historical Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.5 Economic Causes of Uneven Development

5.1.6 How Can We Reduce the Global Development Gap?

5.1.7 Case Study: Tourism in Kenya

5.1.8 Case Study: Tourism in Jamaica

5.1.9 Case Study: Economic Development in India

5.1.10 Case Study: Aid & Development in India

5.1.11 Case Study: Economic Development in Nigeria

5.1.12 Case Study: Aid & Development in Nigeria

5.1.13 Economic Development in the UK

5.1.14 Economic Development UK: Industry & Rural

5.1.15 Economic Development UK: Transport & North-South

5.1.16 Economic Development UK: Regional & Global

5.1.17 End of Topic Test - The Changing Economic World

5.1.18 Exam-Style Questions - The Changing Economic World

5.1.19 Changing Economic World - Statistical Skills

6 The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1 Resource Management

6.1.1 Global Distribution of Resources

6.1.2 Food in the UK

6.1.3 Water in the UK 1

6.1.4 Water in the UK 2

6.1.5 Energy in the UK

6.1.6 Resource Management - Statistical Skills

6.2.1 Areas of Food Surplus & Food Deficit

6.2.2 Food Supply & Food Insecurity

6.2.3 Increasing Food Supply

6.2.4 Case Study: Thanet Earth

6.2.5 Creating a Sustainable Food Supply

6.2.6 Case Study: Agroforestry in Mali

6.2.7 End of Topic Test - Food

6.2.8 Exam-Style Questions - Food

6.2.9 Food - Statistical Skills

6.3.1 The Global Demand for Water

6.3.2 What Affects the Availability of Water?

6.3.3 Increasing Water Supplies

6.3.4 Case Study: Water Transfer in China

6.3.5 Sustainable Water Supply

6.3.6 Case Study: Kenya's Sand Dams

6.3.7 Case Study: Lesotho Highland Water Project

6.3.8 Case Study: Wakel River Basin Project

6.3.9 Exam-Style Questions - Water

6.3.10 Water - Statistical Skills

6.4.1 Global Demand for Energy

6.4.2 Factors Affecting Energy Supply

6.4.3 Increasing Energy Supply: Renewables

6.4.4 Increasing Energy Supply: Non-Renewables

6.4.5 Carbon Footprints & Energy Conservation

6.4.6 Case Study: Rice Husks in Bihar

6.4.7 Exam-Style Questions - Energy

6.4.8 Energy - Statistical Skills

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Surface Winds

Tropical Storms

OCR Geography B GCSE

Resources for ocr 2016 geography b.

We are delighted to have worked together with the OCR to develop resources to support this specification – click  here  to access the resources with  links embedded into the scheme of work here .

Other Recommended Resources to Support the Teaching of Weather and Climate within this Specification

1.1 How can weather be hazardous?

a) Why do we have weather extremes?

• Outline of the  global circulation system  including the effects of high and low pressure belts in creating  climatic zones .
• How the global circulation of the atmosphere causes extremes in weather conditions in different parts of the world.
• The extremes in weather conditions associated with wind, temperature and precipitation in contrasting countries.
• The distribution and frequency of tropical storms and drought, and whether these have changed over time.
• Outline the causes of the extreme weather conditions associated with tropical storms.
• Outline the causes of the extreme weather conditions of  El Niño/La Niña   leading to drought.

a) When does extreme weather become a hazard?

• flash flooding  or  tropical storms
• heat wave  or  drought .

There must be one UK based and one non-UK based natural weather hazard event

• For each chosen hazard event, study the place specific causes (including the extreme weather conditions which led to the event), consequences of and responses to the hazard.

2.1 What evidence is there to suggest climate change is a natural process?

a) What evidence is there for climate change?

• The  pattern of climate change from the beginning of the Quaternary period to the present day .
• The range and reliability of evidence relating to climate change including evidence from sea ice positions, ice cores, global temperature data, paintings and diaries.

b) Is  climate change a natural process?

• Outline the causes of natural climate change including the theories of sun spots, volcanic eruptions and Milankovitch cycles.
• Investigate the natural greenhouse effect and the impacts that humans have on the atmosphere, including the enhanced greenhouse effect.

c) Why is climate change a global issue?

• Explore a range of social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change worldwide such as those resulting from  sea level rise  and  extreme weather events . The impacts studied should relate to the 21st century.
• Explore a range of social, economic and environmental impacts of climate change within the UK such as the impact on  weather patterns, seasonal changes  and changes in industry. The impacts studied should relate to the 21st century.

4.2 Why should tropical rainforests matter to us?

a) What biodiversity exists in tropical rainforests?

• The distinctive characteristics of a tropical rainforest ecosystem, including the  climate

4.3 Is there more to polar environments than ice?

a) What is it like in Antarctica and the Arctic?

• Outline the distinctive characteristics of Antarctica and the Arctic, including climate

7.1 How is the UK changing in the 21st century?

a) What does the UK look like in the 21st century?

• Overview of human and physical geographical characteristics of the UK, including population density, land use,  rainfall and relief , and significant issues associated with these characteristics, including water stress and housing shortages.

8.1 Will we run out of natural resources?

a) How has increasing demand for resources affected our planet?

• Outline the factors leading to demand outstripping supply of food, energy and  water .

8.2 Can we feed nine billion people by 2050?

a) What does it mean to be food secure?

• Understand the term  ‘food security’  and the human and physical factors which influence this.

Climate Zones

Climate zones .

Some introductory ideas on Climate zones

Teaching Resources

Lesson 3 – Pritchard.pdf

Data and Image Sources

http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/AnnualPrecipitationAnimation.gif

Food Security

ipcc-updates-geography-teachers/#9

Water Security

ipcc-updates-for-a-level-geography/security-of-water-supplies/

Extreme Weather

Weather records will always be broken!

Further Information

In Depth – Extreme Weather (Met Office)

What do we mean by Extreme Weather? Data analysis.

Community experience of extreme weather Fieldwork/ investigation

https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/key-stage-five/extreme-weather/

Work scheme on  extreme weather  including tropical storms

UK Flash Flood Events

An  introduction to flooding .

National River Flow Archive  http://nrfa.ceh.ac.uk/

Current UK river levels  http://www.gaugemap.co.uk/

Tropical Storms

Teaching Resources Tropical Cyclones Scheme of Work .

Work scheme on  extreme weather  including tropical storms.

lang_gis_hurricane_task

https://www.metlink.org/teachers/teacher-development/extreme-weather-2/

https://www.metlink.org/other-weather/weather-hazards/drought/

A case study of the 2003 heat wave .

A case study of the 2013 heat wave.

Past Climate Change

Past Climate Change teaching resources

Tempest database

Climate Change

Considerably more information can be found at our  Climate Change Updates for Geography Teachers  pages and in our general  past climate change resources/  section.

Climate Change Schools Project

UK climate projections  and associated  teaching resources

Further  KS4 resources .

Link  to OCR website for the full specification.

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GCSE Geography | Extreme Weather in the UK (Weather Hazards 11)

Last updated 19 Jul 2023

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Although the UK doesn't experience tropical storms like many regions around the globe, it does experience regular extreme weather events.

Prolonged rainf all and flooding

Persistent rainfall over a long period can lead to river floods, this is because the ground is complete saturated meaning it can no longer absorb water, and as a result there is more surface run-off, so more water returning straight to the river than soaking into the ground. This is common in the UK especially during the late winter and early spring when snowmelt makes the problem worse. During the very wet winter of 2013 to 2014 flooding was widespread across much of southern England, including the Somerset Levels, which many of you will have studied as your UK weather hazard case study. This was an example of slow-onset flooding.

In contrast we also see river flash flooding where intense rainfall brings a huge amount of water into an area in a short space of time. This is common in upland areas where the slopes are steep, for example when storm Desmond hit the Lake District in December 2015 or when Boscastle in Cornwall, sitting at the bottom of a steep sided valley, was completely overwhelmed by water after more than 18cm of rainfall fell in 5 hours in August 2004.

In addition, we have coastal flooding when a deep depression causes strong winds, that bring a storm surge to a major river estuary, funnelling coastal water into the mouth of a river. The most devastating example of this was in 1953 when huge storm surges hit the East coast of the UK, with 300 people dying along the Thames Estuary alone. This is not usually linked to prolonged rainfall.

Strong winds

This leads nicely to our next extreme weather event – strong winds. The UK does occasionally get battered by strong winds. Sometimes the remnants of hurricanes travel over the Atlantic from the USA and Caribbean.

In February 2022 wind speeds of more than 200km/h were recorded at the top of Cairn Gorm – a peak in Scotland – that’s the equivalent of a category 4 hurricane. In the same month Storm Eunice battered southern Britain, and even ripped much of the London O2's roof off.

The UK experiences depressions on a regular basis and these often bring heavy rain and trigger river or coastal flooding (see above). As well as the damage by water they also can lead to great storm damage, for example the St Jude storm in October 2013, which felled trees, toppled lorries and double decker buses and caused the deaths of 5 people.

These storms often lead to widespread power cuts – in autumn 2021 thousands of people were without power for more than a week across the Lake District as storms bought power lines down, leading to widespread disruption to businesses, but also left people unable to heat their homes or get hot water, just as snow started to fall.

Drought and heatwaves

Drought is defined as an extended period of low or absent rainfall relative to the expected average for a region, which in the UK is fifteen consecutive days with less than 0.2 millimetres of rain on any one day. Once it has become this dry there may be insufficient water to produce crops, particularly if levels of stored water are low, such as in reservoirs, and rivers have started to dry up. Drought is fairly common in the south-east of England which is the driest area in terms of rainfall, and usually the hottest – luckily droughts are fairly short-lived. The longest drought on record in the UK occurred over an 18-month period in 1975 and 1976, however the summer of 2022 saw widespread droughts across the UK, with water levels in reservoirs dropping lower than seen before.

Linked to drought are incidents of heatwaves, which are becoming more common due to climate change. In 2003 Europe suffered an extreme heatwave which led to the deaths of over 20,000, and many countries recorded their highest ever temperatures. However those records have been broken more recently – July 2022 saw the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, with a temperature of 40.3°C at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, beating the previous record set in Cambridge in 2019 by 1.6°C recorded at Cambridge Botanic Gardens. The Met Office reported that man-made global warming has made summer heatwaves thirty times more likely in the UK.

Extreme cold

Many people often talk about how winters in the past were much colder and harsher than they are now, we have still had some recent significant periods of extreme cold, such as the winter of 2010-11, and 2014-15, and of course the Beast from the East in 2018, which caused a great deal of disruption and hardship, particularly in areas of the north.

There are many problems associated with extreme cold – in which leads to stranded passengers and huge economic loss. Extreme cold also has an enormous impact of farming – with frost and snow killing off thousands of crops, and livestock, such as cattle, struggling to survive the freezing temperatures.

• Weather events
• Extreme weather
• Weather hazards
• Atmospheric hazard
• Natural hazards

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UK Floods Case Study November 2019

The UK experienced an extreme weather event in November 2019 when exceptionally heavy rainfall caused flooding in parts of the UK. Heavy downpours across large parts of northern England led to surface water and river flooding in parts of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Greater Manchester, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.

According to the Met Office, on Thursday 7th November 2019 over half of the average rainfall for the whole of November fell in parts of the Midlands and Yorkshire.

If you have images and/or videos of flooding or an eye witness account that you would be happy to share on an interactive flood impact map we are developing please send them [email protected]

What caused flooding in the UK in November 2019?

A large area of prolonged rainfall fell on parts of the UK in November 2019. Some areas experienced the whole of Novembers average rainfall over a period of 24 hours. Sheffield experienced 84mm of rainfall. The rainfall was caused by an area low pressure stalling over the UK.

Further reading/watching: 

BBC Weather Overview 

What were the effects the extreme weather in November 2019?

About 500 homes have been flooded in Doncaster with more than 1,000 properties evacuated in areas hit by the floods.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said it had declared a major incident on the evening of Friday 8th November and firefighters rescued more than 40 people from the Fishlake area, near Doncaster. Residents of Fishlake said it was the first time the village had flooded in 100 years.

Empty coffins were seen floating inside the workshop of a flooded funeral parlour in the village.

Some villagers had to spend the night at a nearby pub, where staff said they had seen people crying because of the devastation.

The village church is collecting food to distribute to residents and roast dinners were delivered on Sunday to those who had remained in their homes.

Reseidents have complained that the River Don has not been dredged recently.

According to the BBC, Adrian Gill, a flood manager at the Environment Agency, said did not currently dredge the River Don “because we don’t think that’s the right thing to do” but the situation could be reviewed in the future.

Water sports enthusiast and teacher Mark Ibbotson, from Doncaster, said he, along with his 13-year-old son Logan, had rescued more than 30 people – including two babies – from a number of streets using his inflatable boat in Bentley where homes have been hit by flooding.

One of the most severely hit areas has been Bentley in Doncaster, where flooding affected many homes 12 years ago.

One resident told BBC Radio Sheffield: “The worry is our insurance policies are expensive as it is because of the 2007 floods, so now we’re all worried whether we’re going to get reinsured.”

Extensive flooding affected Rotherham , where residents were told to stay at home and not leave unless asked to do so by emergency services. Some have been taken to safety by boats.

Dozens of people were forced to spend the night in the Meadowhall shopping centre .

In Derbyshire, the River Derwent at Chatsworth reached its highest recorded level and council workers put up sandbags around Matlock and Matlock Bath, where the river was “dangerously high” .

A number of properties in Derby city centre were flooded, however, a full evacuation was not ordered as the River Derwent didn’t burst its banks to the extent emergency services believed it would.

The A52 – the main road route into Derby – was closed westbound between the city and the M1 along with a handful of smaller roads in the county.

Residents from 12 homes in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, were unable to return home after a mudslide on Thursday led to 35 properties being evacuated .

In Nottinghamshire, residents living in mobile homes close to the River Trent in Newark were urged to move to higher ground.

On Friday, the floods claimed the life of a woman who was swept into the River Derwent at Rowsley in Derbyshire. Her body was found about two miles away in Darley Dale. She was named earlier as Derbyshire’s former High Sherriff Annie Hall .

Trains were cancelled in Yorkshire and parts of the East Midlands as rail routes were flooded.

BBC reporter Richard Cadey said some roads around Fishlake had been closed and the village was “effectively cut off because of flooding”. He said people on the ground had told him 90% of the homes there had been flooded.

The River Don, which flows through Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, hit its highest recorded level at just over 6.3m (21ft), higher than it was in 2007 when it also flooded.

Sources: 

England flooding: River warnings and rail delays continue

Flooding in pictures/videos

Torrential downpours flood parts of northern England – BBC

Flooding in Yorkshire – In Pictures – The Guardian

England flooding: A tour of a flooded house in Fishlake

River Derwent Flooding – Drone Video

Helicopter captures footage of flooded South Yorkshire

What were the responses to the UK floods in November 2019?

More than 100 flood warnings were put in place across England. The Environment Agency (EA) urged people to take them seriously.

The Environment Agency took to social media to warn people about the potential impacts of flooding.

AMBER warning for flood risk today ⚠️- rain will rotate over north and north midlands bringing heavy rain on already sodden ground – take care – flood warning updates here https://t.co/K5GUW3z87V pic.twitter.com/mDDAC3uLXc — John Curtin (@johncurtinEA) November 7, 2019

The Environment Agency worked day and night to reduce the impact of flooding. The Environment Agency responded to the flood risk by working closely with police, fire and rescue, local authorities and partners to reduce the risk of flooding and keep communities safe. On the ground, Environment Agency field teams worked through the night to operate flood storage areas and pump away flood water.

A major incident was declared in South Yorkshire,

Some residents were “angry and frustrated” at Doncaster Council – claiming it had not provided sandbags early enough to prevent properties from flooding, the station reported.

Political leaders visited areas affected by floods. On the campaign trail Boris Johnson promised over £2 billion to improve flood defences.

South Yorkshire Police said it had extra officers out on patrol to “protect the evacuated areas and support those affected by the floods”.

Following a meeting of COBRA, the government’s emergency committee, Prime Minister Boris Johnson anounced the following measures :

• An extra 100 Army personnel deployed from Wednesday to support the recovery effort in South Yorkshire
• Funding for local councils where households and businesses have been affected – equivalent to £500 per eligible household
• Up to £2,500 for small and medium-sized businesses which have suffered severe impacts not covered by insurance

Six days after the heavy rain, army personnel provided support to flood-hit communities .

Environment Agency warnings

Environment Agency working day and night to reduce flood impact

How effective were the mitigation strategies introduced since the 2007 floods?

Flood defences put in place in South Yorkshire managed to significantly reduce the impact of Thursday’s floods, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

River levels in parts of the county rose overnight to almost the same as they were in June 2007, when two people died in Millhouses and the Wicker.

Despite a major incident being declared on Thursday, the EA said the area was protected by new walls and flood gates.

The river levels around Meadowhall were high, but the EA said its defences, as well as the ones put in by Meadowhall, had lessened the damage.

Elsewhere in South Yorkshire, £3m was spent by the EA to repair and improve defences running along Ea Beck , in the villages of Toll Bar and Bentley near Doncaster.

However, people living in settlements downstream of Sheffield have complained about the impact of the recently constructed defences.  In Bentley, a low-lying neighbourhood on the north side of the River Don, forlorn terraced streets are still knee-deep in water. “You don’t have to be a hydrologist to see what’s happened,” said one man interviewed by a Guardian journalist . “Sheffield built flood defences in 2015-16. They spent about £20m protecting the lower Don. So the water has nowhere to go than the next place, Rotherham and then Doncaster.” He went on to say that residents received a “red alert” on Thursday night that there was a risk of flooding. He phoned an emergency number and requested sandbags. He was told that the council was not going to distribute them because the River Don’s banks had not been breached.

When the sandbags eventually arrived the community worked together to distribute them.

South Yorkshire flooding: Defences ‘reduce impact’

Related articles:

How do you stop flooding? 

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