Paper 1 - The Beast from the East Flashcards
When did the beast from the east happen?
22nd February - 5th march 2018
What was the cause?
- The jet stream moved south which moved the ‘Polar Vortex’ south. This moved cold dry air from the Polar regions down towards the UK.
- Westerly winds were reversed which meant Easterly winds brought cold air from Siberia and Scandinavia to the UK.
- Storm Emma was moving north from Europe and made the event
worse as it mixed with cold air from the east to create heavy snowfall.
How many people died?
10
How many people were stranded and why?
Hundreds as roads were closed due to snowdrifts
How much money did Ocado lose?
£1.5 million as they couldn’t deliver groceries
What was an effect on farming?
Farmers lost lambs as it was unusually cold
What were temperatures like?
around -10 degrees celsius
How deep was the snow in some places?
50 cm
How did the met office respond?
Issued a red weather warning to tell people not to travel if it wasn’t entirely necessary
How were roads cleared?
Using snow ploughs and tractors
How did the government respond?
Reviewed emergency plans to ensure better preparations for future events
What had to be repaired?
Roads as there were lots of potholes caused by the cold and melting snow
