In view of the incessant downpours and floods, the Met Office issued alerts. The weatherman says Britain can expect "heavy and prolonged" downpours. The melting of snow would aggravate the situation and cause floods. These fast-flowing floods could endanger lives and properties and disrupt Travel. This can happen when roads are washed away or when uprooted trees block the roads. It seems England and Wales might have to deal with up to 60mm (2.4 inches) of torrential rain. Multiple weather warnings are in place following reports of up to 8 cm (3.1 inches) of snow in parts of Britain.
This was at the start of the weekend. There was a corresponding alert for snow in certain places. The authorities cautioned people to expect delays in travel and loss of power while some rural communities could get isolated because of breakdown of phone lines and inaccessibility. Moreover, there could be damages to the infrastructure.
Flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency. Initially, there were 23 of them across England. These covered areas from the South East to the North East. It meant the situation needed immediate action. Subsequently, there were another 99 lesser flood alerts. The Met Office went on to add that there could be brief spells of sunshine but those would be temporary.
In August 2018, flash floods in the East Coast led to evacuation of residents and closure of roads.
Caution in times of floods
Floods are a natural phenomenon during heavy rainfall. Dangers increase when rainfall combines with the melting of snow. This could raise the level of the floodwater. An official of the Met Office cautions about Northwestern regions.
These could expect a combination of showers and persistent rain. Possible aftereffects should be expected of the weather like flooding of homes and businesses. Some buildings could suffer damages. Moreover, fast flowing or deep floodwater might endanger lives. The train and bus services could face delays or cancellations and there could be problems of road closures.
Issues of this nature are normal when there are such climatic disorders. Mountainous regions could face up to 200mm (7.8 inches) of rain. The authorities would make use of helicopters and lifeboats while conducting search and rescue operations. In February 2020, floods in New Zealand left hundreds of tourists stranded.
Floods will intensify as rainfall combines with snowmelt
Heavy downpours will leave Britain struggling with floods in different places. Forecasters caution about risk to lives. There could also be isolation of some communities and businesses would feel the effect. The national weather service issued an amber warning with predictions of very wet conditions in large parts of Manchester, Yorkshire and Lancashire.
People living in these regions can expect not only heavy rainfall but also snowmelt across the hills. This combination could end up with floods.
Climate change is a factor responsible for floods
Possibilities of strong downpours and heavy gales coming in from the North Sea should be expected. Floods are usually associated with weather disturbances and climate change is a factor responsible for floods. When the surrounding temperature rises, the greenery dries up. At times, they catch fire and perish. The loss of the green cover is harmful to the environment because the roots of the trees lose the binding with the soil. The rainwater gushes downhill carrying the soil with it. UK realizes the link between global warming and floods and is drawing up strategies to tackle them. In order to prevent such situations from happening, it is necessary to say no to fossil fuels and choose Renewable Energy.
