More extreme weather

UK braced for more severe weather as further storms appear on the horizon

Large swaths of coastline – from Isles of Scilly to Wales and Scotland - are at risk of severe flooding, say forecasters

the Guardian,

2 January, 2014

Britain will be battered by a fresh wave of "exceptional weather", with gale-force winds and driving rain creating a risk of widespread flooding, the environment secretary has warned.

Owen Paterson said, after a meeting of the government's Cobra committee on Thursday in which the UK's flood response was discussed, that emergency agencies and power companies were on high alert.

The Environment Agency had by Thursday night issued a string of severe weather warnings – indicating threat to life and property – for coastal areas at the greatest risk of flooding.

Large swaths of the British coastline, from the Scilly Isles to Wales and Scotland, were at risk of severe flooding, forecasters warned, as a further storm front was due to sweep in from the Atlantic on Friday and again on Sunday.

Pete Fox, head of strategy at the Environment Agency, said: "We are expecting flooding along the west and south coasts of England and Wales, due to a combination of strong winds, large waves and high tides, from the early hours of Friday and into the weekend.

"Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline."

Waves up to nine metres high are set to crash into the coast of Cornwall and Devon on Friday, with 65mph winds creating hazardous conditions across seafronts.

The storm warnings came as search for the 27-year-old man swept out to sea was called off after a body was found on Thursday morning at Porthleven Sands, Cornwall. The man, from Surrey, was swept off his feet in the sea while celebrating the new year with his friends at Loe Bar

A woman died in a separate accident along the coast, in Croyde, north Devon, after going swimming in the sea while on holiday with her family on New Year's Eve.

In Dorset a search was under way for a man believed to have fallen into the River Stour, near Iford Bridge, Christchurch.

Paterson said ministers would make sure that energy and transport companies were "absolutely prepared for the bad weather coming" to avoid the Christmas misery that left 150,000 homes without power and thousands of Britons struggling to get home.

"With a number of flood warnings in place today and more rain and high winds forecast for tomorrow, I have today chaired a Cobra meeting to make sure that across central government departments we are ensuring that local councils, utilities and transport companies are as prepared and ready to respond as possible," he said.

The Environment Agency said the flood risk extended along the coastline from north-west England, through Wales and south-west and southern England. Areas particularly at risk included the Isles of Scilly, the north and south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and the Welsh coast.

There were severe weather warnings in place for the rivers Taw and Torridge on the Devonshire coast, where forecasters said that there would be flooding at numerous locations due to "high spring tides and significant surge combined with large waves from the south-west".

Flood warnings are also in place in the Midlands, the north-west, Scotland and Northern Ireland, as well as 229 less serious flood alerts being issued, which covered most of the UK.

The bigger concern for emergency services were the gale-force winds, forecast to reach up to 60mph (100km/h) for west and south England on Friday, getting up to 50mph inland, including in London.

Forecasters expect Saturday to bring respite, before another low-pressure weather front moves in from the Atlantic on Sunday.

Dan Williams, from the Met office, said the danger was from the "strong winds combining with astronomical tides" along the coastlines. "The far bigger warning is for wind. We're talking about gale-force wind across the board for the UK. That means we've got strong winds that can push water around and big tides as well."

The worsening of the conditions prompted Devon and Cornwall police to warn people not to enter the sea or even walk along promenades.

A police spokeswoman said: "There are people who enjoy swimming in all weathers as well as those who may underestimate the danger a rough sea can pose. During the current bad weather we would appeal to everyone to use common sense and not put themselves in unnecessary danger.

"In addition, people who enjoy walking on beaches and rocky areas should take care not to allow themselves or their pets to get too close to waves."

The bad weather warnings come as firefighters in England and Wales prepared to stage a fresh strike Friday morning, concerned with their long-running dispute with the government over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union will walk out for two hours at 6.30am, creating the ninth stoppage since September.

Under the terms of an agreement between the FBU, central government and fire services, strikers will return to work if there is a major emergency that could put large numbers of peopleat serious risk.

Environment Secretary warns 'exceptional weather' to hit UK

The announcement by Owen Paterson comes as ministers pledge to work closely with power companies to ensure they are sufficiently prepared

Birmingham Mail,

2 January, 2014

Ministers will work closely with power companies to make sure they are prepared for further storms, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has said.

The announcement comes as Mr Paterson said Britain was facing "exceptional" bad weather, with nearly 50 flood warnings across the west and south coasts.

There should be a brief respite today, but heavy rain is expected in western areas of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland tomorrow as a low pressure system moves in from the Atlantic.

Winds will gust to 50-60mph, the Met Office said, and a combination of lowering pressure and high tides, together with already high levels of ground saturation, bring the risk of flooding.

The Environment Agency is set to issue severe flood warnings - the highest category - for coastal areas, as strong winds combine with high tides and large waves from early tomorrow morning.

Five severe flood warnings, which includes a danger to life, have been issued for Devon. They are the tidal River Torridge, from Weare Giffard to Bideford; the Taw Torridge Estuary; the River Taw, from Bishops Tawton to Barnstaple; north Devon coastal communities, including Westward Ho!, Combe Martin and Lynmouth and the north Devon coast at Ilfracombe.

The Environment Agency has also published two further severe flood warnings for Cornwall.

The first was the south Cornwall coast, from Lands End to Plymouth but excluding Truro and Plymouth Barbican; and the second was the north Cornwall coast from Lands End to Hartland Point, excluding Bude and Wadebridge.

The Thames Barrier in London is also closed today to protect people and property along the river, the agency said.

Additionally, bosses of the energy network companies are due to face questions from MPs over the length of time it took to restore power to homes affected by storms over Christmas. More than 150,000 homes were cut off after strong winds, torrential rain and flooding caused damage to power networks.

Speaking after a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergencies committee in London, Mr Paterson said ministers were now working with power companies, as well as councils, to ensure they were prepared for the storms.

Mr Paterson said: "We had a range of ministers from right across Government attending the meeting, who will be working very closely with local councils, power companies, utility and transport companies, making sure that all of those organisations are absolutely prepared for the bad weather that is coming."

Pete Fox, head of strategy at the Environment Agency said: "We are expecting flooding along the west and south coasts of England and Wales, due to a combination of strong winds, large waves and high tides, from the early hours of Friday and into the weekend.

"Coastal paths and promenades could be highly dangerous as there is an increased risk of being swept out to sea. People are warned to stay away from the shoreline.

"The Environment Agency is monitoring the situation closely, working alongside partners including the Met Office and local authorities. Environment Agency teams are out on the ground making sure that flood defences are in good working order, monitoring sea levels and preparing to issue flood alerts and warnings."