1.3.6 Extreme Weather in the UK - Case Study

Case Study - 2003 UK Heatwave

Causes

• Low Rainfall - Rainfall over much of the UK was below what is normally expected during the months of June, July, and August.
• High Pressure - The long-lasting high pressure system tended to reduce the amount of rain that fell. High pressure areas usually bring little cloud and warm conditions in summer.

Heatwave Cause

Social Impacts

1. 2,000 deaths were attributed to the heat.
2. 20 people injured by lightning strikes brought by thunderstorms.
3. Increase in people experiencing breathing difficulties; poor air is suspected to account for 1/3 of deaths.
4. Elderly suffering from heat exhaustion.

Economic Impacts

1. Transport - Some railway tracks buckled in the heat, meaning a 30 mph speed restriction was imposed, affecting commuters.
2. The London Underground became unbearable, meaning people were unable to travel to work.
3. Road surfaces melted, affecting deliveries.
4. Low river levels prevented some boats from sailing, affecting tourism income.
5. Major increase in UK tourism - an extra 1000 people packed onto Brighton beach, for example.
6. Farming Industry lost £13 billion due to crop failure.

Environmental Impacts

1. Air pollution - It is thought that one-third of the deaths caused by the heatwave in the UK were caused by poor air quality.
2. Forest Fires destroyed ecosystems and habitats.
3. Severe impacts on crop yields; wheat fell 12% in 2003 in the UK.
4. Many natural animals died, affecting ecosystems; fish stocks were lowered in rivers. Over 1000 farm animals, mainly cows and pigs, were also lost.

Management Strategies can Reduce the Risk from Weather Hazards

The 2003 Heatwave could have been much worse if there weren't strategies to reduce the risk:

5. PREDICTION - Warning systems, such as weather reports and heat warnings issued by the Met Office and Environment Agency (including 40 severe flood warnings), gave people time to prepare.
6. PROTECTION - Individuals and local authorities prepared for extreme weather before it happened. Workers altered their working hours. Some refuse collectors started earlier to pick up rapidly decomposing rubbish.
7. PLANNING - Emergency services and local councils planned how to deal with extreme weather events in advance. The Department of Health launched a project called the Heat-Health Watch, which now gives advanced warning of UK hot weather. Public water supply shortages occurred, which led to a temporary ban on using hose pipes.