Cumbria Floods 2009- How the heaviest rainfall happened

In the hours before floods swept through Cumbria, the heaviest rain ever recorded in Britain fell on a hamlet in the county. Philip Eden unpicks the unique combination of factors which made this happen.

1. A 'conveyor' of warm, very moist sub-tropical air was carried towards Britain from south of the Azores

2. When this mass of warm air - which holds more moisture than cold air - was blown by high winds over Cumbria's mountains it cooled, allowing the moisture to condense as heavy rain

3. What made matters worse was that the weather system, which extended south-west from Britain for thousands of miles into the Atlantic, got stuck over the hills of Cumbria and southern Scotland

4. The falling heavy rain entered the region's rivers, which were forced to carry exceptionally high water loads

5. This led to significant flooding, especially at their confluences, such as in Cockermouth

BBC News - How the heaviest rainfall happened

Rising sea levels hit Maputo, Rotterdam

 

When people talk about the impact of rising sea levels, they often think of small island states that risk being submerged if global warming continues unchecked.

But it's not only those on low-lying islands who are in danger. Millions of people live by the sea - and are dependent on it for their livelihoods - and many of the world's largest cities are on the coast.

By 2050 the number of people living in delta cities is set to increase by as much as 70%, experts suggest, vastly increasing the number of those at risk.

To shed light the impact of rising sea levels, we are taking a close look at two very different cities, Rotterdam and Maputo , and their varying responses to the problem.

BBC News - Climate change: Rising sea levels hit Maputo, Rotterdam

November 2009 flooding

 

November 2009 flooding

The Olympic Park View Tube

The Olympic Park can today boast its first completed venue (assuming we're not counting an electricity substation as a venue). It's a viewing platform built from shipping containers, in the best Lea Valley tradition. The brightly coloured protuberance is hard to miss up on the Greenway, an old cycle path that cuts through the Park and provides the best opportunities to watch construction. The new building acts as a viewing point (slightly cringerly, they're calling it the View Tube), cafe and a community centre (presumably in legacy, right? - the only communities we've ever seen on the Greenway have beaks).

 

Map http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeezer/4110866504/

In Pictures: The Olympic Park View Tube - Londonist