Scientists study the consequences of a wave of 7 meters in London

The wave was produced by a “virtual storm” as part of a £6.5m project at the UK Met Office.

Researchers say the work is crucial to our understanding of how storms cause dangerous flooding around the UK and the quest to improve forecasting.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4880126.stm

There are different sources of flooding, which can happen anywhere and anytime.

• River flooding that occurs when a watercourse cannot cope with the water draining into it from the surrounding land. This can happen, for example, when heavy rain falls on an already waterlogged catchment.

• Coastal flooding that results from a combination of high tides and stormy conditions. If low atmospheric pressure coincides with a high tide, a tidal surge may happen which can cause serious flooding.

• Surface water flooding which occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms the drainage capacity of the local area.  It is difficult to predict and pinpoint, much more so than river or coastal flooding.

• Sewer flooding that occurs when sewers are overwhelmed by heavy rainfall or when they become blocked.  The likelihood of flooding depends on the capacity of the local sewerage system. Land and property can be flooded with water contaminated with raw sewage as a result. Rivers can also become polluted by sewer overflows.

• Groundwater flooding that occurs when water levels in the ground rise above surface levels. It is most likely to occur in areas underlain by permeable rocks, called aquifers. These can be extensive, regional aquifers, such as chalk or sandstone, or may be more local sand or river gravels in valley bottoms underlain by less permeable rocks.  This is not  a significant source of flooding in Wales.

• Reservoir flooding. Some reservoirs hold large volumes of water above ground level, contained by walls, or ‘dams’.  Although the safety record for reservoirs is excellent, it is still possible that a dam could fail. This would result in a large volume of water being released very quickly.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/31652.aspx

You can prepare your home against the risk of flooding by taking a few, practical steps:

• check your home and buildings insurance covers flooding
• find out if damaged belongings will be replaced with new ones
• if you rent, contact your landlord to find out about the insurance cover for your flat or house
• make sure you know how to turn off your gas, water or electricity – if you are not sure, ask your supplier for advice
• keep a kit of essential items like copies of your insurance documents, a battery powered torch and radio and a first aid kit
• buy special protection flood products like floodboards and airbrick covers to help reduce flood damage
• check your flood protection products have a British Standards Institution (BSI) Kitemark  – this means they have been tested to a recognised standard

If you are interested in this subject please don’t hesitate to go to:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/WhereYouLive/FloodingInYourArea/DG_10014599

“A chunk of Antarctic ice sevon times the size of Manhattan has suddenly collapsed, putting an even larger glacial area at risk.

Satellite images show the runaway disintegration of a 220-square-mile chunk in western Antarctica.

British scientist David Vaughan says it’s the result of global warming.

The rest of the Connecticut-sized ice shelf is holding on by a narrow beam of thin ice and scientists worry that it too may collapse. Larger, more dramatic ice collapses occurred in 2002 and 1995.”

Find out more