Impact of Low Pressure Weather System

UK - September 2008

Causes

•·       Heavy rainfall and strong winds swept across Britain causing floods in many areas.

•·       Some places suffered more than a month of rainfall in 24 hours

•·       The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for Wales and many parts of England.

•·       BBC forecasters said 40mm of rain had fallen in Caerphilly in south Wales and on Exmoor.

•·       BBC weather forecaster Liam Dutton said almost 1.5 inches (38.1mm) of rain had fallen in parts of mid Wales between midnight and 1500 BST, with Lake Vyrnwy in Powys recording rainfall of 33.8mm and Sennybridge 32.8mm.

•·       Severe weather caused by an area of low pressure bringing wet weather from the mid-atlantic, in a westerly direction across the UK

Effects

•·       The weather has caused disruption across much of Wales and England:

•·       The Jazz in the Park event in Pontypool has been cancelled, as was Cardiff Pride 2008

•·       A number of roads are under water in Gloucestershire and a road in Crumlin in Monmouthshire was closed following a landslide

•·       Gusts of more than 60mph have been recorded at headlands near Torbay in Devon

•·       Arriva Trains is advising people in south east Wales not to travel by train as all rail services are severely disrupted by flooding.

•·       South Wales Fire Service said it had received 350 flood-related calls in six hours on Friday, compared with a normal daily total of about 130.

•·       Fire crews and council workers were called to homes in the Lydney area of Gloucestershire on Thursday after flash floods.

•·       The ground was saturated after an unusually wet August, increasing the risk of flooding across the UK, experts said.

•·       The AA has reported a higher than normal number of breakdowns with cars getting in trouble after driving through floodwater.

•·       Thirty properties have been evacuated in Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd because of the risk of flooding from the River Taff.

•·       Residents on the A4054 Cardiff Road/Castle Street were moved to temporary accommodation at Hawthorn Leisure Centre.

•·       An 8ft (2.4m) wall collapsed in Park Street, Pontypridd, while at Dowlais, Merthyr, a woman was rescued from a car under a bridge. A number of pubs have reported water in cellars.

•·       155 children were evacuated from Cradoc junior school at Brecon and taken to the leisure centre for shelter.

•·       Ferry firm Stena Line has cancelled its 0855 BST and 1500 BST sailings from Holyhead, Anglesey.

Source - bbcnews.co.uk
D.Drake 2008