Thursday, 18 August 2022

Flash Floods Follow

People may find it surprising that parts of SW England and Wales have been experiencing flash floods, after a prolonged drought (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/aug/17/storms-and-flash-floods-hit-southern-england-london). Extended droughts, however, cause any exposed vegetated ground to harden. This means that the water, from relatively heavy downpours cannot be absorbed fast enough. Such flooding is also worsened by converting stream and river meanders into straight channels, draining wetlands etc. The situation is further exaccerbated in urban areas, by replacing lawns and gardens with parking for cars. The UK really needs to reconfigure its infrastructure to deal with extreme weather events.
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