PRepare for extreme weather!

The Environment Agency has warned we must act now to prepare for extreme weather: In 2012, one in five days saw flooding somewhere in Britain; 6,000 flood warnings and alerts were issued; around 8,000 homes flooded...

Facts and Figures on extreme weather in 2012

• 7,950 properties flooded      
• 78 days of 2012 saw flooding (1 in 5)

Record breakers

• Daily river flows across England and Wales as a whole reached record levels on 48 days last year – the highest since records began over 50 years ago (National River Flow Archive)
• Haydon Bridge gauging station on the South Tyne near Newcastle has gone from the lowest mean monthly flows on record for the time of year in March 2012 of 6.35 m3/sec (which is 27% of the March long term average (LTA)) to the highest mean monthly flows on record for the time of year in June 2012 of 34.1 m3/sec (which is 399% of the June LTA).
• Gold Bridge gauging station on the Ouse in East Sussex has gone from the lowest mean monthly flows on record for the time of year in March 2012 of 0.804 m3/sec (which is 28% of the March LTA) to the highest mean monthly flows on record for the time of year in July 2012 of 2.820 m3/sec (which is 310% of the July LTA).

See the full warning and quotes from EA Chair Chris Smith http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/146242.aspx AND THE FLIP SIDE IS WE GET MORE DROUGHTS TOO!