Weather in the NEWS

Severe weather strikes the UK - and Central America

Heavy rainfall in South Wales created near flash flood conditions in the valleys surrounding the Brecon region. The Usk and Rhondda burst their banks and flooded houses and businesses nearby. Later rainfall across central and northern Wales turned the Severn and Wye valleys into near disaster areas.

After long periods of heavy rain, the catchment areas of the Severn and Wye were waterlogged. Normal rainfall falls on the forest and upland moors of Snowdonia and mid-Wales where the water is trapped by vegetation and gradually sinks away into the surrounding ground before reaching the water courses of the rivers. Normally this is a relatively slow process - but over recent weeks the heavy rain has meant that the ground has become waterlogged and the additional rain falling on top has run straight off to the nearby river courses. As a result, the rivers have become very swollen very quickly with substantial flood surges moving downstream.

Over the past fortnight the rainfall over the Welsh mountains has been exceptional - with the result that the River Severn in Shropshire has risen to some 20 feet (6m) above its normal level. The rising waters have flooded large parts of Shrewsbury together with other towns downstream - Bridgnorth and Bewdley. For many residents these were just one more flood in a disastrous year. After severe flooding at Easter they had just managed to get their houses and businesses straight during a wet summer, only to have the flood water destroy everything again.

This October has been the wettest for many years - with rainfall for most areas reaching around twice the normal monthly total.

Synoptic chart for 23rd October 1998 showing frontal systems around the UK

Hurricane 'Mitch' devastates Central America

The hurricane developed over the warm waters of the western Caribbean, before swinging towards the coastline of Honduras. Already classified as a Category 5 hurricane before it hit the coast, 'Mitch' was known to be a catastrophic event. When Mitch hit land, it delivered a devastating 25 inches of rain a day (many parts of the UK receive 25 inches a year!) resulting in torrential flooding.

The huge quantities of water washed away many roads and bridges making it near impossible for rescue services to reach damaged villages and injured people (the Nicaraguan army has only 5 helicopters - far too few to provide the services required). Mudslides wiped out entire communities. Around Mount Casita, a volcano in north west Nicaragua, 30 square miles were buried under a sea of mud after the crater rim was washed away. Nicaraguan government officials estimated that the death toll in this region alone could exceed 2,000.

In the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, whole suburbs where washed away in the floods. The total casualty figure will probably never be known, but is now thought to be capable of exceeding 10,000. On November 2nd the European Community announced an immediate aid package worth $5 Million to provide food, medicines and temporary shelter for survivors. The US government announced a further $2 Million in aid together with use of US military helicopters and transport equipment. Britain has sent the naval destroyer HMS Sheffield to assist with the disaster recovery.

Hurricane 'Mitch' is thought to be one of the 4 worst hurricanes this century along with the Florida 'Labor Day' (September 2nd 1935) Hurricane, Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Gilbert (September 1988). Mitch has occured late in the hurricane season, perhaps at the end of the most active hurricane season this century. At one stage this year, four Atlantic hurricanes were active at the same time - Georges, Ivan, Jeanne and Karl - the first time that this has been observed this century.