Extreme weather in US and UK

North-east US recovers from snowstorm as freezing temperatures sink in

• Cleanup continues as airports and transport services reopen

• Mayor Bill de Blasio warns of severe cold and driving dangers

the Guardian,

3 January, 2014

Cities across the north-east US began the slow process of returning to normality on Friday, after a heavy snowstorm dumped up to two feet of snow on parts of the region.

Runways at airports in Boston, New York and New Jersey were reopened by midday, although passengers still faced lengthy delays. Mass transit systems were largely operational.

While the snow had passed by Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service warned that bitterly cold temperatures would remain in the mid-west and north-east across the weekend, with the wind chill dropping as low as -50F (-45.6C) in some places. Officials warned people not to drive unless absolutely necessary and to stay indoors if possible.

More than 2,000 flights had been cancelled across the country by 1pm Friday, according to the Flight Aware monitoring website, and over 2,700 flights were delayed.

Boston and New England saw the worst of the storm, with Boston.com reporting that the highest totals were in Essex County, Massachusetts. Boxford saw 24.3in of snow and Topsfield 23.5in, the website said.

Hundreds of schools were closed in Boston and New York City, while non-emergency Massachusetts state workers were told to stay at home. Boston's Logan airport had reopened by mid-morning, according to its website, although many flights were delayed and cancelled.

In New York and New Jersey JFK, runways LaGuardia and Newark airports were open and flights were arriving and departing after poor visibility and high winds forced suspensions early Friday. At JFK one of the runways had been reopened by around 10.30am and crews were working to open the other three. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey warned that travellers will face delays at all three airports.

The storm provided a first test for Bill De Blasio, New York City’s new mayor. After the 2010 blizzard, former mayor Michael Bloomberg was heavily criticised for clearing Manhattan streets first. In a press conference on Friday morning at a sanitation department depot in Queens, the new mayor thanked John Doherty, the sanitation commissioner, and acknowledged the early test the storm had provided to his leadership.

"It would have been nice to have talked about how to handle a snowstorm in an abstract exercise, but we didn't get to do that, we got the real thing."

Sanitation workers were working 12-hour shifts to clear the roads, De Blasio said. As of 4am there were nearly 2,500 plows on the streets. De Blasio said 100% of primary roads had been ploughed, 92% of secondary roads and 93% of tertiary roads. The mayor praised "an extraordinary level of performance" by the sanitation department in clearing streets but urged people to stay off the roads.

More than a foot of snow fell in parts of the mid-west before the storm sprawled across the north-east. The system brought freezing temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below the average for early January across the region.

The NWS warned on Friday that "some of the coldest air of the year" would arrive in the northern tier of the US by Saturday. The wind chill could approach -50F (-45.6C) in parts of the mid-west over the weekend, the NWS said, while parts of New England could expect -20F (-28.9C).

"Forecast offices over [the upper mid-west] suggest lows into the -20s across North Dakota/Minnesota with breezy conditions lowering wind chills to dangerously low levels. Current guidance indicates wind chill temperatures may approach -50F on Saturday night," the NWS said in an alert.

De Blasio said peope should stay off the roads and not underestimate the “deceptively cold” temperatures. "It's as cold as it's been all year. If you stay out there too long it will be bad and it will be dangerous."

Tidal 

Latest UK storm 'may be last one for a while'

Heavy rain, strong winds and tidal surges cause widespread flooding but Met Office says sunshine and showers are on way

the Guardian,
3 January, 2013

Tidal surges and gusts of up to 75mph battered parts of the UK on Friday as officials urged the public not to put lives at risk by storm and wave watching, and ministers sought to tackle a potential political storm over allegations that flood prevention could be a victim of spending cuts.

At one stage 21 severe flood warnings were issued by the Environment Agency with parts of Wales, Scotland, western England and Northern Ireland most affected.

Police said they were "extremely concerned" for the safety of Henry Martin, 18, who has not been seen since he left his home in Membland, Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, Devon, to take pictures of the weatheron Thursday, and air, sea and land searches were under way.

Ferry services were cancelled, train services disrupted and roads closed, but conditions on Friday were not as bad as some authorities feared they might be.

Workers repair a storm-damaged road in Amroth, west Wales. Photograph: Aled Llywelyn/Athena Pictures

The Met Office is forecasting some respite on Saturday from some of the wettest and windiest weather in decades which, as well as widespread flooding, has caused power cuts and travel disruption.

Even so, up to 30mm of rain will fall on already sodden southern areas of England on Saturday with a threat of snow on higher ground in more northerly parts of the UK. In Scotland, "be aware" weather warnings have been issued for the Strathclyde, Tayside, Fife, South-west Scotland, Lothian & Borders and Central regions.

The warning also covers Northern Ireland and parts of the north of England. Existing yellow warnings for wind and rain across much of the country remain in place.

Another depression due to blow in from the Atlantic on Sunday could bring winds of up to 50mph rather than the gusts of up to 75mph that struck the UK on Friday.

Helen Chivers, head of news at the Met Office, said that "might be the last really big storm for a little while". More unsettled weather would follow but was more likely to be of the sunshine and showers variety than the hatch-battening events that forced yet more mopping up after a combination of high spring tides, high winds and low pressure.

A check on wind speeds suggests December provided the stormiest end to the year since 1969 and one of the windiest months since January 1993. In Scotland, it was the wettest month in records dating back to 1910.

A family is caught out while watching the waves at Mullion Cove, Cornwall. Photograph: Apex

Appeals to the public not to walk on coastal paths and promenades and near flood water failed to deter storm watchers in some parts of the country. A man was seen swimming in the flooded river Nith between Dumfries and Kingholm Quay, and Carmarthenshire council called in the police to move on sightseers at Burry Port, south-west Wales.

The coastal town, which sits on a tidal estuary, was lashed by huge waves and winds of more than 70mph during the morning high tide. "What they cannot know is what is in these waves. The sea takes up a lot of rock, rubble and stones and throws them violently about," a council spokesman said. "Stones weighing up to one hundredweight were being flung into the car park and people were literally putting their lives at risk by being there."

Tom Mansell, RNLI divisional operations manager and flood rescue team leader in the south-west, said: "The danger is really where people are going down to have a look. They don't understand how dangerous the sea can be. We would say please, please keep away from this water."

As towns and villages across the country were inundated by sea and river flooding, a pregnant woman in Cardigan was among people rescued from homes by firefighters. In Pwllheli, north Wales, the lifeboat crew helped the fire and rescue service move five people from a flooded caravan park.

Belfast escaped an expected tidal surge at midday on Friday, preventing further major flooding in the capital of Northern Ireland. Police had built a wall of sandbags in central and eastern parts of the city, including the area close to the harbour. The river Bann in Coleraine burst its banks on Friday morning, flooding the centre of the County Derry town.

Across the border in the Republic, Galway sustained the worst of the flooding, with the seaside resort of Salthill having its promenade submerged and a local leisure centre near the beach being forced to close until next week due to storm damage.

In Scotland, the A75 in Dumfriesshire was closed for several hours after a lorry overturned in strong winds, and the A78 between Largs and Skelmorlie was closed by flooding. The Skye, Tay and Forth road bridges were barred to high-sided vehicles and speed restrictions put in place for other traffic.

Waves crash over the promenade in Saundersfoot, west Wales. Photograph: Rebecca Naden/Reuters

Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, is under pressure over job losses in roles connected to floods at the Environment Agency for England and Wales. He insisted "frontline services" would be protected, but Paul Leinster, chief executive of the agency, has admitted some roles in flood risk management are likely to go as part of 1,500 job losses.

After meetings with Leinster and the government's emergency committee, Paterson said: "Like all departments, this department has had to make efficiencies given the dire financial position we inherited when we came to office."

Leinster had "assured me he has every intention of protecting frontline services concerned with flooding … This government is spending more than any previous government on flood defences".

Anne McIntosh, Conservative chair of the Commons environment committee, conceded there would never be enough money to do everything to protect the country from floods, but told the BBC: "We do have to learn from previous flooding and I think we do have to do more to prepare for these floods in between – maybe have an annual rehearsal, bringing all the emergency services together".

Her remarks were echoed by Louise Ellman, Labour chair of the transport committee, who has summoned rail and airport bosses to appear before MPs.

"We need to be more prepared to deal with different kinds of weather. In 2009 we had very heavy snowstorms, they were the worst for 30 years and we were caught unprepared. I think now we're dealing with snow a lot better but there are other kinds of bad weather. We see floods, we see gales, and we have to be ready for that too."