Storm Events

The UK is regularly hit by depressions which bring heavy rain and windy conditions.
Storms cause damage to the west coast in particular due to its proximity to the Atlantic.
Storms can cause extreme damage to infrastructure and can lead to deaths, with coastal flooding being a threat in many cases.
The UK can also experience tornadoes, triggered by strong heating of the ground.

Flooding

There are four different flood hazards that face the UK, mostly causes by high levels of rainfall or strong coastal waves.
Flooding can sometimes trigger landslides, which can cause huge amounts of damage.
Coastal flooding is caused by storm surges into a river's estuary.
River flash flooding is the result of high levels of rainfall and is particularly likely on steeper slopes.
Slow-onset river flooding occurs when a long period of rainfall saturates the soil in the river catchment so that it can't hold any more water. This leads to the banks of the river collapsing.
Surface water flooding is caused by high levels of rainfall collecting in depressions or hollows where homes have been built and is the only form of flooding that can happen separated from another water source.

Drought Events:

Drought occurs when there is a long period without rainfall. The definition of a drought in the UK is 15 consecutive days with less than 0.2mm of rain on any one day.
The longest UK drought on record was 18 months, occurring in 1975/1976.
Droughts are often accompanied by high temperatures.

Extremes of Cold Weather:

Cold conditions occur if depressions don't pass over the UK in winter.
Frost can damage crops and livestock.
Freezing conditions can cause damage to infrastructure and can bring business to a halt.
Blizzard conditions have a huge impact on the airline industry in particular.

UK Climate