Stormy Weather

[kernelbogey]

I could be wrong here, but I am tentatively hopeful that Friday into Saturday's really nasty depression will be the last of the severe weather systems for a while. Things should then calm down, with wind and rainfall amounts back down to reasonable levels. What we all need of course is 3 weeks' dry weather!

I wish it were that simple. But a water resources expert quoted on the Hampshire Chronicle website yesterday pointed out that the hills are full of groundwater which will take weeks, if not months, to drain down through the rivers. They are attempting to create a reservoir upstream of Winchester to help regulate the flow of water through the city.

[amateur51]

very well said!

could I add my thanks and a too please?

Should mangerton be using this opportunity to enthuse members North (and South) of the border with the propect of a 'Yes' vote in the forthcoming referendum.

[amateur51]

He was spouting rubbish.

I reckon that's tautologous!

[mangerton]

could I add my thanks and a too please?

Should mangerton be using this opportunity to enthuse members North (and South) of the border with the propect of a 'Yes' vote in the forthcoming referendum.

Have I done that? It's certainly not my intention. I would not presume to foist my political opinions - whatever they may be - on to others, especially the erudite members of this forum!

( I might, if I thought it would improve the weather.)

[MrGongGong]

"Today" have just wheeled out - or should that be dug up - Lord Lawson (again), in the interest of "balance". They really should stop doing this.

Absolutely spot on

I think the BBC's obsession with "balance" means that whenever you get someone who knows about something talking about it we always have to have the 'opposing' opinion in the name of balance which is how comedy politicians get undue exposure and people start to think that somehow they represent something worthy of consideration !

[amateur51]

Have I done that? It's certainly not my intention. I would not presume to foist my political opinions - whatever they may be - on to others, especially the erudite members of this forum!

( I might, if I thought it would improve the weather.)

You seem to be suggesting that it is because journalists and politicians are concentrated in London that the treatment of storm news in London is in the ascendance. It couldn't also be because the population of London (8.1 m) is the equivalent of some 60% larger than that of the whole of Scotland (5.3m), could it?

[Sir Velo]

Absolutely spot on

I think the BBC's obsession with "balance" means that whenever you get someone who knows about something talking about it we always have to have the 'opposing' opinion in the name of balance which is how comedy politicians get undue exposure and people start to think that somehow they represent something worthy of consideration !

If anyone wants confirmation of this have a decko at the BBC's coverage of the killing of six lions at Longleat Safari Park. Where did the journalist covering the story look for informed opinion from scientists, wildlife charities etc? Where else but Facebook of course, where we had three comments verbatim.

Elsewhere, look at the coverage of the floods. Who do the TV journos interview? Flood specialists? Emergency services? Nah, it's the man on the street, innit, with his chipper, "we're all mucking in, blitz spirit you know" schtick.

[MrGongGong]

If anyone wants confirmation of this have a decko at the BBC's coverage of the killing of six lions at Longleat Safari Park. Where did the journalist covering the story look for informed opinion from scientists, wildlife charities etc? Where else but Facebook of course, where we had three comments verbatim.

Elsewhere, look at the coverage of the floods. Who do the TV journos interview? Flood specialists? Emergency services? Nah, it's the man on the street, innit, with his chipper, "we're all mucking in, blitz spirit you know" schtick.

The BBC have been on about "user defined content" for a long time now.
Some of the time it is the source of really interesting and useful information. Blogs written by teenagers living in places of conflict can be fascinating and more interesting than tired journalism.
BUT, as you point out, if everything comes down to "man in the street" anecdotes then

I guess the

2 anecdotes = data

way of thinking is everywhere?

[Flay]

This BBC article discusses the detection of faecal contamination in the floodwater. I love the last comments:

I ask Ham how he feels about finding out what is swilling around in his kitchen.

"It is worrying. It is a bit of an eye opener. Hopefully when it is cleared out and sanitised it will be alright.

"My wife Mandy is going to have a busy time with the disinfectant," he says.

Is he too ham-fisted to do it himself?

[Serial_Apologist]

This BBC article discusses the detection of faecal contamination in the floodwater. I love the last comments:



Is he too ham-fisted to do it himself?

Hamstrung, maybe. Strung up, should be.

Beautiful fresh sunny day here today - the air's clarity had me thinking: with all this wind and rain recently, the air of London has in all probability seldom been less polluted!

I'm sticking to my gradually improving weather scenario, btw. We just need to get tomorrow and Saturday out of the way.

[Anna]

I see an inquiry is to be opened. Floodgate?

An inquiry into what? (a) winter, (b) the Environment Agency, (c) climate change, (d) emergency services or (e) politicians? Shouldn't it become law that housing development on flood plains should include flood prevention measures (flood doors, automatic airbricks, etc., etc., before planning permission is given) and retail park development should include measures re drainage in carparks and perhaps encouragement (a grant?) for those living riverside/flood plains to protect their homes?

Ontopic: A welcome respite from rain, just a couple of very heavy bursts, very cold though, but surprising warmth in the sun out of the wind. All the Black Mountains were white and sparkling this morning. Last night we had very unexpected thunder, lightning and hail.
S_A promises more settled weather as from mid-week - I think he means less wet!!

Still plenty of flooding to come for some, I think it said the water takes around 8 days to come down into the Thames Valley (leaving aside the question of groundwater) and tonight's storm is now said to be as bad as Wednesday for SW & SE.

[Serial_Apologist]

S_A promises more settled weather as from mid-week - I think he means less wet!!

Still plenty of flooding to come for some, I think it said the water takes around 8 days to come down into the Thames Valley (leaving aside the question of groundwater) and tonight's storm is now said to be as bad as Wednesday for SW & SE.

Brummie Simon must be sleeping it off. This BBC forecaster is bearing out my hopes for less stormy weather from Sunday onwards:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26169458

and this report bears out what has been said about the severe US cold/warm Atlantic current feeding into the jetstream:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/26172405

Here are pictures people have been sending in. Image 5 shows the extraordinary back anvil cloud underside I described here the other day; and Image 6 what looks like an amazing storm passing the observer, probably a mixture of hail and snow:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/pictures/26173567

As our next deep depression crosses tomorrow, I'm hoping for a "col" of high pressure to build to the west of Ireland, forcing local winds temporarily round to a north-westerly, then leaving higher pressure than now in the north Atlantic, which should divert future storm systems further to the north, away from the UK. It's a hope!

[aeolium]

I thought the top picture here, of the wave, was astonishing:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26150788

The wave looks as if it is going to engulf the building, though the man to the right seems unconcerned.

Does anyone remember the climate change calendar in Steve Bell's Revolutionary If...? He had a different cartoon for each month of the year and one of the winter months showed someone wearing a helmet with faceshield and frying an egg on some hot surface outside. Another had a man waiting at a bus stop impatiently checking his watch as a giant wave looms up behind him. And that was all of 30 years ago IIRC.

[Flay]

Shouldn't it become law that housing development on flood plains should include flood prevention measures (flood doors, automatic airbricks, etc., etc., before planning permission is given

I think they should all be built on stilts

[kernelbogey]

Nicholas Stern (author of the 2006 report on global warming) has written in the Guardian about the links between the current weather conditions - and other extreme weather events worldwide - and global warming.