London - Local Area Hazard Risks

London - Local Area Hazard Risks

1. Kensal Rise Tornado

   • 7th December 2006
   • 11:02am
   • T4 on the TORRO scale
   • Strong Atlantic low pressure system
   • Ulrike
   • Caused very unstable weather conditions to the UK but mainly in the South
   • A drop in humidity was recorded, this is likely to have caused an increase in atmospheric pressure
     • Causing the squall line to move forward at an accelerated pace
   • Damages were estimated at £10 million
   • 6 people were injured
   • 100 properties damaged
   • Caused a school to close for a week due to a collapsed roof
   • Cars damaged
   • Potential to cause water contamination

2. Summer Heat wave

   • 2003
   • Researchers say that this heat wave was the hottest on the continent for at least 5 centuries
   • Atlantic cyclones brought cool and wet weather for a short period at the end of July
     • Temperatures started to increase substantially from the 3rd of August
   • Temperatures reached 38.5 degrees
   • According to the BBC more than 2,000 people than usual died in the UK
   • Many suffered heat stroke, dehydration, sun burns and deaths from air pollution
   • People drowned from trying to cool off in rivers
   • There was an increase in skin cancer
   • Drinking water supplies were effected
   • Hose pipe bans
   • Agriculture was effected
   • Animals died
   • Tourism increased
   • Railways buckled
   • Undergrounds became unbearable
   • Some road surfaces had melted
   • Cost European farmers 13.1 billion euros

3. Drought

   • Summer 2006
   • Worst drought since 1976
   • This came about as a result of two successive winters of below average rainfall
   • Agriculture suffered
   • Hose pine bans
   • Cracks appeared in the soil which was leading to unstable foundations
   • Low low in rivers meant that pollution had a greater impact on the environment
   • Fish were more likely to die because of low flow, low oxygen levels and higher water temperatures.

4. Severe fog

   • December 2006
   • High pressure became slow moving for several days
   • Locally freezing fog which in some locations lasted 3 to 5 days
   • In many places visibility was reduced to below 100m and below 30m in some cases
   • Transport was effected
   • Fog caused problems on the roads with one man killed in a crash
   • Police appealed to motorist to slow down and keep their distance
   • Up to 70,000 people suffered delays or cancellations at airports

5. Floods

   • Thames Flood plain
   • Thames flood barrier was opened in 1984 - cost around £534 million to build
   • Water contamination
   • Death
   • Injury
   • Damage to infrastructure
   • Disease
   • Damage to crops
   • Insurance will increase
   • Emotional damage
   • Sendimental loss
   • 1982 flood killed 302 people

6. Air pollution

   • Kills more people than obesity in the UK
   • Causes respiratory diseases