UK Hazards

Question 1

What are hydro-meteorological hazards?

Answer 1

storms, flooding, drought, extreme cold weather

Question 2

Describe the effects of storm events

Answer 2

heavy rainfall, river floods, death, power outage, travellers stranded at airports (gatwick)

Question 3

What happened during the St Jude Storm?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Describe some examples of flooding

Answer 4

Ockley 2013, 40 m of major railway embankment collapsed, london commuters were disrupted

Question 5

What is coastal flooding? (and example)

Answer 5

depression brings storm surge to estuary and strong winds funnel water into mouth of a river
1953 300 people dead when a surge hit thames

Question 6

What is river flash flooding? ( and example)

Answer 6

rainfall brings flash flooding on high slopes

2004 boscastle 185mm fell in 5 hours

Question 7

What is slow onset river flooding? (and example)

Answer 7

long period of rainfall saturates catchment soil

river thames burst banks when fresh rain could not sink into ground

Question 8

What is surface water flooding? (include example)

Answer 8

intense rainfall collects in hollows and depressions where homes are
£3 billion damage to homes in 2007

Question 9

What is a drought?

Answer 9

an extended period of low or absent rainfall relative to the expected average for a region, in uk this is 15 consecutive days with less than 0.2 mm on any one day

Question 10

Give an example of a UK drought

Answer 10

18 months of 1975 and 1976 and cheltenham had 32 degree weather

Question 11

What happens during cold weather? (give an example of a cold winter)

Answer 11

frost (no crops), freezing conditions (trains cancelled), blizzards (transportation stops)
2010-2011