Extreme Weather in the UK - Paper 1

Question 1

Give an example, not Beast from the East, of a storm in the UK:

Answer 1

St Jude storm of 28th October 2013.

160km/h winds killed 5 people, felled trees and toppled lorries.

Question 2

Can the UK experience tornadoes? If so, name an example:

Answer 2

Yes, in 2005, a tornado in Birmingham caused 19 injured and damage costing £40 million.

Question 3

What are 4 different types of flooding associated with extreme weather in the UK?

Answer 3

-Coastal flooding
-River flash flooding
-Slow-onset river flooding
-Surface water flooding.

Question 4

What is a secondary hazard of flooding in the UK? Name an example:

Answer 4

Landslides.

At Ockley in southern England in 2013, more than 40 metres of major railway embankment collapsed after a heavy rainfall. This brought a week of disruption for London commuters and financial costs for their employees.

Question 5

What is the definition of drought in the UK?

Answer 5

15 consecutive days with less than 0.2mm of rain on any one day.

Question 6

What was the longest drought ever recorded in the UK?

Answer 6

Occurred over an 18-month period in 1975 and 1976. In Cheltenham, the temperatures exceeded 32 degrees C for 7 successive days (a records that still stands)

Question 7

Name some examples of extreme cold weather conditions in the UK:

Answer 7

The winters of:
-1946-47
-1962-63
-1978-79
-2010-11
-2014-15

Question 8

What are the weather risks of extreme cold weather?

Answer 8

-Frost - cattle and crops may not survive extremes of around -10 degrees C.
-Freezing conditions - over 17,000 trains were cancelled in January 2014 because of freezing conditions.
-Blizzard conditions - transport grinds to a halt, creating costly airline delays.

Question 9

Define extreme weather:

Answer 9

Unusual, severe and abnormal weather conditions significantly different to standard weather events.

Question 10

What is another name for the state of atmosphere at a particular place and time?

Answer 10

Weather.

Question 11

What is another name for the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period.

Answer 11

Climate.

Question 12

Name a case study of extreme weather in the UK and when it was:

Answer 12

The Beast from the East, February 2018.

Question 13

What caused the Beast from the East?

Answer 13

A change to the northern polar jet stream which twisted its direction unexpectedly, drawing in cold air to the UK from the east. This bending was caused by a jump in temperatures high over the Arctic, known as sudden stratospheric warming. This unexpected warming weakened the jet stream that brings warm air in from the Atlantic to Ireland and Britain. This allowed cold air in from the east. The air picked up moisture from the North sea bringing snow.

Question 14

What are 3 pieces of evidence that UK weather is becoming more extreme?

Answer 14

-There has been an increase in extreme winter rainfall since the 1980s. The suggested reason is the increased warming of the Atlantic Ocean.

-UK temperatures have increased by about 1 degree C since the 1980s.

-Record rainfall and flooding in Cumbria in 2009. 1,500 homes were flooded, many were injured and one person died. Many businesses closed and landslides occurred.

Question 15

What are the extreme weather predictions for the future?

Answer 15

-The UK could be faced with warmer and wetter winters (if the suggestion that a global average temperature rise of 2-3 degrees C is correct).

There will most likely be more rain-bearing depressions.

-The risk of extreme flooding and high wind speeds will probably increase