The Weather Thread - Storms! Floods! Snow! Sun!?

[Rob McCow]

UK still looks beautiful underwater.

What a mess though

[Philipnet]

And I'm finally home :-)

Good thing I didn't have far to go

[SiHart]

Blimey! The sun is shining today. It's so good to have a nice day!

[Nyder]

It was blustery walking to Whitehall this morning - but it stayed dry so I'm not complaining!

[Philipnet]

I am currently waiting for the ghost bus !

I've been waiting here in the cold for 20 minutes only one bus has gone past - and that was full!

The traffic is so fudged around the town (Reading) that there are queues of people waiting at the bus stops on the business park. The buses can't get to us (because they take an age to get in and out of the town) and when they do get here, there are so many people queuing that they are quickly full before I get a chance to get on one!

[Philipnet]

I'm now sitting on a nice warm bus

Thank fudge for sensible bus drivers!

[Philipnet]

Home is home is home :-) .

A journey that would normally take under 30 minutes, took almost an hour!

Perhaps I ought to be posting these in the Argh! thread!

[Rob McCow]

A journey that would normally take under 30 minutes, took almost an hour!

Pah! Easy ride, Phil! I'll have to tell you about that night the whole office got trapped in Basingstoke in the snow...

[Philipnet]

You don't want to be trapped in Basingstoke in the snow

[Stuart Wallis]

I don't like the sound of being trapped in Basinstoke...

[Perry Vale]

Mr Cameron said he would ensure that a report outlining the future capability of Britain's flood defences is produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by the end of the month, and added that there would be meetings of the Cobra emergency committee "until the threat has passed".

He should try reading The Guardian....

Drowning in money: the untold story of the crazy public spending that makes flooding inevitable

We all know what's gone wrong, or we think we do: not enough spending on flood defences. It's true that the government's cuts have exposed thousands of homes to greater risk, and that the cuts will become more dangerous as climate change kicks in. But too little public spending is a small part of the problem. It is dwarfed by another factor, which has been overlooked in discussions in the media and statements by the government: too much public spending.

Vast amounts of public money, running into billions, are spent every year on policies that make devastating floods inevitable. This is the story that has not been told by the papers or the broadcasters, a story of such destructive perversity that the Guardian has given me twice the usual space today in which to explain it.

[Stuart Wallis]

So the gist is, if a farmer wants to stay farming, he rips up his trees and gets subsidised to farm; but if he wants to avoid being flooded out, he puts in more trees. And if he puts in more trees, he loses his subsidies. So if he wants to get back to farming, he rips up - oh

[Philipnet]

UK floods: Thames reaches record water levels



With significant parts of Wales and Southern England under water or with a real threat of flooding, just how cosy are you feeling - or have you brought out the sandbags already?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26111598

[SiHart]

I was shocked to see the filed by the roundabout into Staines just5 being a lake. When I left the UK the other week, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it is now.

Apparently we lost all power here on Saturday according to my Dad. Everywhere just looks so sodden and wet.

[Philipnet]

Loddon Bridge Park and Ride (and surrounding area):

[SiHart]

Blimey!

[Stuart Wallis]

Where Richard, Jonno and I am, and where Darren used to be til recently, will probably become floodable if the Thames keeps rising. We've got the Roding valley here, the Lea river and Lea canal over the hill, and they all pour into the Thames. Then theres Tottenham Marshes. We have known Loughton station and high street to become flooded.

[Philipnet]

They keep closing the Thames Barrier at high tide; that will protect a bit of London.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...y-9117673.html

And have a live flood warning map:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ds/142151.aspx
just because we can't have too much information right now

[Philipnet]

The BBC have this article up on why we're getting the wet and windy weather we are: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26050452

The flooding is reaking havok on the railways.

Services were disrupted last night when signalling equipment was put out of action at Maidenhead.

Train operators First Great Western, say Network Rail has confirmed that flood-water is likely to affect track-side signalling and safety equipment this morning and they will only be able to run four trains an hour between Paddington and Reading in each direction. This is around a fifth of the services that would normally be scheduled.

They strongly advise customers not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary, and to consider alternative routes.

Souce: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/loc...-train-6693406

[Philipnet]

The BBC reports that Magician Paul Daniels, has now left his home in Wargrave, Berkshire, which is surrounded by water but not actually flooded.
"I put the waders on, I pulled Debbie out in a dinghy. It's not the water so much as the current. It's trying to take the shortest route."

[Stuart Wallis]

They keep closing the Thames Barrier at high tide; that will protect a bit of London.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...y-9117673.html

At least the Barrier's turned into an investment rather than a white elephant now. Which is also the sad part. That, and if the worst comes, the City has more time, but I think it's Charlton that's the first to go under. (Edited to add - no pun intended.)

[Philipnet]

A ‘red’ weather warning has been issued by the Met Office as parts of the UK prepare to be hit by winds of up to 100mph.

West Wales and north-west England are battening down the hatches ahead of gusts of between 80 and 100mph, while large waves could affect other coastal areas.

Yesterday the prime minister warned the worst of the weather was yet to arrive, and 70mm (2.75in) of rain is forecast in the West Country by Friday – more than the region would normally receive in the whole month.



Source: http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/12/red-we...rives-4301146/

[Philipnet]

Reading Gate retail park (in Berkshire)

[SiHart]

The winds have been really gusting past the library all afternoon. There are trees down not too far from us here today, which is unsurprising. heavy rain for a bit but that stopped at least from around 3pm...

[Rob McCow]

Saw a pic of a tree down on Nine-Mile Ride.

Some mad old Tory Lord was saying that these floods are a wake up call and that we should STOP spending on wind farms and solar energy.

Umm...?