UK Weather Hazards
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 1.3.4
Weather Hazards in the UK
The UK experiences the following weather hazards:
Rain
- Cardiff is the UK's wettest city, with 115cm of rain each year.
- If there is too much rainfall, areas can flood. In 2004, Boscastle town in Cornwall flooded after heavy rain.
- People can be trapped in their homes, the foundations of houses can be damaged and people can drown.
- Repairing flood damage is very expensive and houses on areas vulnerable to flooding can be impossible to insure.
Wind
- Wind in the UK is rarely as strong as Hurricane Patricia's 345km/h winds.
- However, Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis in 2020 caused the UK's Avanti railway lines and airports like Heathrow to cancel trains and flights.
- Many areas in Yorkshire and Wales were flooded and people were killed by falling trees.
- The UK coast and upland regions suffer from the strongest winds in the UK.
Snow and ice
- Slipping on ice can cause head injuries that kill some people.
- Homeless people are particularly vulnerable to the cold and many die in the winter each year.
- If there is too much snow, businesses may be forced to shut, along with schools, railway lines, roads, and airports.
- Harsh, cold winters can kill crops or reduce crop yields, causing problems for farmers, and potentially causing food shortages.
Hailstorms and thunderstorms
- Cyclones are rare in the UK. Thunderstorms with torrential rain, thunder and lightning are more common.
- During the summer, hailstorms are still possible. Hailstones fall and they can break windows and reduce visibility on roads, potentially causing injuries.
Heat waves
- Heat waves are extended periods of hot weather.
- If heatwaves go on too long, it can lead to periods of drought, like in Cape Town in 2019.
- Humans and animals can suffer from heat exhaustion and transport links can also be disrupted as rails buckle and the tarmac on roads melts. Trains often have to limit their speed to 50mph in very hot conditions.
Drought
- Drought happens when an area does not get enough precipitation.
- Water supplies and reservoirs can dry up. This can lead to a lack of drinking water and crop failures if there is not enough irrigation.
- The UK government sometimes introduces hosepipe bans to preserve water in these situations.
Test yourself on UK Weather Hazards
What weather hazards does the UK experience?
What do we call strong winds?
What are the 2 types of storm experienced by the UK?