Flash floods?

[observer]

Another flash flood in Cornwall, and lots of hand wringing by the Enviromental Agency - insurance claims go up - and so will premiums for the rest of us.

[Dizzy]

Obs sadly it is very difficult to stop mother nature causing havoc

 

No doubt we will start to see more and more floods though as the drains in many areas simply can't be expected to cope with all extra burdon of increasing housing developemets and use.... or rivers bursting their banks of course

 

I think insurance premiums would continue to go up anyway but they at least 'they' have an 'excuse' for doing it now

[observer]

I agree, Mother Nature is a powerfull force, but there are things that can be done to mitigate disaster, and such infrastructure building (EG storm drains), would create employment.

[Dizzy]

Of course but where does the water from local storm drains go

[observer]

That's the problem Diz, we don't have "storm drains", at least not on the scale and size required. Normal drains are not designed for sudden downpours - in effect, the streets provide the easiest route for the water at the moment.

[Peter T]

I think that given the number of problems over the years, there should be enough experience to pin-point likely places. Whether they would spend the money is another matter.

[observer]

They know where the risks are, Q, is, is it worth fighting nature - they've given up on coastal erosion now for example, so perhaps they should start building houses on higher elevations from now on?

[Bill]

Apparently the Romans got round the problem in their towns by making the footpaths considerably higher than the road surfaces thus creating virtual storm drains. Not quite the same but if we raised the level of the road surface by an inch or so with some new Tarmac then that's and inch less flooding on the roads.

 

Or is it?

 

Bill

[Lt Kije]

Global Warming its going to get worse

[observer]

Don't think so Bill, these flash floods are caused by sudden downpours of torrential rain, which caused a river of water over 1M in height within hours. Water will seek the quickest route to the sea, and in hilly coastal areas, the streets provide it. Of course. matters can be complicated when combined with freak high tides, which makes a great deal of our coastal areas at risk - I think King Canute made the point.

[asperity]

Global Warming its going to get worse

 

More alarmist claptrap

[observer]

Assuming he's right for a second, will any of the so-called green measures have any effect? IF these Extreme Weather Events are down to Global Warming - it's already too late!

[asperity]

What extreme weather events?

[Peter T]

Lynton and Lynmouth? No-one remember that before global warming had been invented.

The Severn valley has been flooding for decades.

Could it be possible that we live in a wet climate?

[Bazj]

well Kije won't believe you!!

[Dizzy]

Floods.... don't worry the Condem Government have it all under control.... they are cutting the funding for new flood defences.

 

Infact they did it the day before Cornwall got hit.

 

So not only could it leave people open to more flooding it will undoubtably cause yet more rises in insurance premiums in the future.

 

http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/news/Axe-falls-flood-defence-schemes/article-2904805-detail/article.html

 

All they seem to be doing is 'cutting' things but surely they can't just go on willy nilly trying to save money especially with things that are needed.... or can they

[Lt Kije]

Yes it was Peter, we just didn't know what caused it then, Now we know and we have given it a name

[observer]

SO; if GW has been the cause of EWEs, it's been going on for quite some time (mini-ice age in 13th Century, Thames frozen over twice, major flood in Severn Valley from tidal surge etc etc), which implies that the damaged claimed has been done and thus the situation is irretreivable. Realism, not speculation, suggests that if these EWEs are to become a regular feature of our weather, we need to adapt. Not by (like King Canute) trying to defy the forces of nature, but by going with it's flow (excuse the pun). Habitation should be developed on higher ground, natural meadow land should be encouraged to act as a sponge for excess rainfall, we should begin to think about the amount of surface covering we lay, and the appropriate size of culverts and maintainance of streams etc etc.

[asperity]

Obs I agree with your post except where you say "if EWE are to become regular". They are not going to become regular, they already ARE regular and always have been. It's the same as saying temperatures are above average at some time. To get an average of anything some readings have to be above the average and some below. The problem is that the so called weather forecasts we see on TV (and if you actually pay attention to them, a lot of the time they are telling you what weather we have experienced in the previous 24 hours as if that has any relevance) concentrate on the effects of weather (temperature and rainfall) rather than telling us about the cause of it. Weather in this country is dictated by pressure systems, high and low. High pressure areas exist over the large land masses and the Azores , while low pressure areas develop between the warm air mass over the Atlantic and the cold air mass over the Arctic. The temperature gradient between the Atlantic and Arctic air masses create a "heat engine" causing a rotation of the air and fronts between the cold and warm air masses. Hence we get strong winds, followed by a shift in wind direction (the warm front) and rain, followed by another wind shift (the cold front) and showers. The intensity and speed of these events is determined by the pressure differences involved. A lot of the time the two fronts (hot and cold) merge while the pressure system is still over the Atlantic creating an occluded front and all we end up with is a typical wet and fairly windy week, typical British weather. This has been going on for eons, with minor and major changes caused by various changes in ocean circulation, solar radiation variation, orbital variation etc etc. Do you know, I'm slowly losing the will to live. Why are people so determined to let other people steal their money to fight an imagined threat that is so bizarre? Book me on the next flight to sanity PLEASE!!!!!

[algy]

Sorry Asperity sanity has been closed due to the present government's cost cutting policies, INSANITY IS STILL AVAILABLE THOUGH

Talking (or rather typing) sensibly though your explanation of our weather system is the best I have ever read, well done Captain.

[wolfie]

Excellent weather report Asp, but no contest in deciding 'weather' to nod in approval with your report or scream obscenities at the tv when their report is completely wrong yet again. The weather girl on tv wins every time.

[Peter T]

obs, you know it won't happen. Take all the building (and proposed) on the flood plains of Warrington.

 

If our politicians had to obtain University of Life degrees they would all fail through lack of common sense.

[Lt Kije]

I thought the UK got most of its weather because of the gulf stream, hence we are not as cold as other places with the same latitude, Take a look at Edmonton in Canada, It gets a lot colder their

[observer]

Well the only thing keeping MPs in the dry, is the Thames barrier!

[Lt Kije]