UK Flood threats ~ March 2008

UK storm causes 14 flood warnings

Waves crash over the sea wall at Trearddur Bay in north Wales

Storms batter the UK

Fourteen flood warnings are in place across England as a powerful storm moves across the UK, causing widespread travel disruption and power cuts.
On Monday, gale force winds and rain affected roads, rail and air travel and almost 12,000 homes were without power.
The weather is now easing but fears of flooding are expected to increase early on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency says the Bristol Channel, Severn Estuary and the Somerset coast are most at risk.
Gale warning
The Met Office has issued a severe gale warning for much of Britain from Tuesday evening until Wednesday afternoon.
The storms are expected to strike further north this time, with more disruption to transport and power possible.
A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency said: "The situation has now improved along parts of the south west and southern coasts."
It is urging people in those areas to stay vigilant, as high spring tides combining with strong winds could cause more localised flooding.


HAVE YOUR SAY Our fence has been blown down and the conservatory roof has been lifted, scary stuff! Melanie, Crawley
Jersey's sea wall has been breached in four places along the South coast.
The Opera House in St Helier is inches deep with sea water and several roads have been closed due to flooding.
In the Cornish town of Perranporth, firefighters are pumping seawater from a pub and some businesses.
Water has been lapping around seafront doorsteps in the Devon town of Teignmouth, while in the Cornish village of Flushing, seawater has flooded the high street.
In Sussex and Kent, the Environment Agency is using bulldozers to build up shingle to protect the coast.
Earlier in the day, a lifeboat was sent to rescue 40 people from a caravan park after flood defences were breached at high tide in Selsey Bill, West Sussex.
A number of flights at Heathrow and Gatwick airports were cancelled, while speed restrictions were put in place on some rail lines.
Flooding caused lane closures on the M25, while the Port of Dover was closed, with P&O Ferries unable to operate any of its Dover-Calais sailings. It has now reopened.
Lost power
The RAC is advising drivers to be prepared for hazardous driving conditions over the next few days.
The M48 Severn Bridge between England and Wales was closed both ways because of high winds but one lane has since reopened.
High winds have also caused considerable damage and disruption, blowing off garage roofs in Devon and west Wales, uprooting trees and bringing down power lines.
A wind speed of 82mph was recorded in Berry Head in Brixham, south Devon, as well as at the Mumbles in Swansea.
In south-west England, 7,000 homes are without power, with 3,000 affected in Wales and 1,700 in Sussex.
Preparations for the Cheltenham Festival, starting on Tuesday, were thrown into disarray after a hospitality stand lost its roof.
Lloyds TSB Insurance says it has had a 150% increase in new claims registered in the first part of the day compared with a typical Monday morning.
Parts of north-east England and Scotland have been hit by snowfall as well as high winds with snow ploughs needed to keep some roads open.
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/7288975.stmPublished: 2008/03/11 06:17:31 GMT© BBC MMVIII

Earthquake in the UK

UK rocked by powerful earthquake

The biggest earthquake to hit the UK for almost 25 years has shaken homes across England and parts of Wales.

Lincolnshire was hit by the centre of the quake early on Wednesday, but the tremors woke people up as far away as Newcastle, London and Cardiff in Wales.
The main quake lasted about 10 seconds and measured 5.3 on the Richter Scale.
Lots of chimneys collapsed, roof tiles fell off and the emergency services received loads of calls, but luckily it seems no-one was seriously hurt.


Did YOU feel the earthquake? Tell us here...

The centre of the quake hit LincolnshireYou've been telling us what the quake felt like where you live.
In Lincolnshire, eight-year-old John said it felt like a rollercoaster ride, but Molly, nine, thought it was much scarier.
"It was really bad here and we thought it was a plane crash from our nearest airport," she said. "We were bouncing around. It was that strong and really scary."

The last big earthquake to hit the UK measured 5.4 on the Richter Scale when it struck north Wales in 1984, but a smaller quake hit Kent in April last year.