What’s Going On Here?
Storm Ciara, hailed as the ‘Storm of the Century’ by some, has raised discussions about how climate change is already impacting the UK. Wetter, wilder weather sure is on its way…⚠️
What Does This Mean?
With Storm Ciara in full blast on Sunday, my plans to cook up a storm (no pun intended…) failed miserably – I surrendered to a cosy day indoors.
With wind speeds reaching 97mph and yellow weather warnings across the UK, here’s how Storm Ciara caused chaos:
⚠️ Passengers were stranded as road, rail and air services were cancelled, diverted or delayed.
⚠️ Blackouts left 20,000 people without electricity.
⚠️ Severe damage to buildings, transport infrastructure and power lines.
⚠️ Calder Valley in Yorkshire saw cars swept away by floodwaters.
⚠️ Hundreds of homes, schools and businesses were flooded, particularly in the Yorkshire Dales.
Oh, and the Queen was forced to miss her Sunday morning trip to church due to high winds – pretty disastrous stuff. Ironically, a BBC One show discussing climate change was interrupted and taken off air for 7 minutes – so what is the link with climate change?
Why Should We Care?
Scientists are in agreement that climate change is indeed increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events here in the UK. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, causing the heavy rain and flooding associated with storms such as Ciara. The Met has even said that if global temperatures increase by more than 1.5 degrees (which we are currently set for), wind storms in the UK are expected to cause 50% more damage. Key to mitigating this impact involves more resilient roads and railways, improved flood defences and natural drainage across the country.
We often think of the impacts of climate change as being futuristic and distant, but they are happening now and right under our noses…Has anyone noticed the daffodils almost in bloom outside? They should be coming out between March and April, and my pet ???? tortoise ???? (aka Oswald) has woken up multiple times during this year’s hibernation – more signs of a warming climate.
It’s time we woke up (how can you not with those hurling winds?) and faced the reality of this climate emergency.
Be Curious!
????️ Stay safe and hold onto your hats (I’ve been struggling to keep my beret on my head this week…) and be super careful if you’re cycling – wear a helmet and don’t rush to get anywhere.
????️ Want to know more about how climate change is affecting the UK? Check out this page by Friends of the Earth.
