Weather hazards in the UK

The UK's climate is mild, but it has several weather hazards:

Storms and strong winds: Atlantic storms bring gales that bring down trees and power lines.
Heavy rain and flooding: from storms, or long spells of wet weather.
Snow and ice: close roads, schools and airports.
dangerous for older and ill people; they can buckle railway lines.
Drought: long dry spells lower reservoirs and harm crops.
Fog: disrupts transport.

Most of these depend on which and is over the UK: low-pressure systems from the Atlantic bring storms and rain; high pressure can bring heatwaves in summer and cold, still weather in winter.

Key terms

Is UK weather becoming more extreme?

Evidence from the Met Office suggests it is:

On 19 July 2022, the UK recorded 40.3 °C at Coningsby, Lincolnshire: the first time it had passed 40 °C, beating the old record by 1.6 °C.
By 2019, the UK's ten warmest years on record (from 1884) had all come since 2002. 2025 was the warmest year on record: the sixth new record set this century.
Recent decades have been warmer, wetter and sunnier than the 20th century.

But weather varies naturally from year to year, and records for some extremes are short, so scientists look at long-term trends rather than single events.

Exam tip

Use specific evidence: a record, a date and a source, not just "it's getting hotter".

The Somerset Levels floods, 2014: causes

The Somerset Levels and Moors are flat, low-lying wetlands in south-west England, crossed by the Rivers Parrett and Tone. About 18% of Somerset is below sea level, and the area has flooded many times before.

Physical causes:

Heavy, prolonged rain: from December 2013 to February 2014, a series of Atlantic storms brought one of the wettest winters on record.
Low, flat land, so water drains slowly.
High tides in the Bristol Channel, among the highest in the world, held back river water from reaching the sea.

Human causes:

Silt had built up in the rivers, which hadn't been dredged for years, so they held less water.
from farmland and towns upstream reached the rivers more quickly.

Key terms

The Somerset Levels floods: impacts

By late January 2014, the Environment Agency estimated that 65 million cubic metres of floodwater covered about 65 km² of land: the largest flood it had ever recorded there. It spread further in February.

	Impacts
Social	Homes flooded. The villages of Muchelney and Thorney were cut off for weeks; residents travelled by boat. A major incident was declared on 24 January.
Economic	Farmland was under water for weeks, and livestock had to be moved. Main roads and the railway were closed, disrupting businesses and journeys.
Environmental	Floodwater contaminated with sewage and farm chemicals; silt and debris left on fields. The wetlands are important wildlife habitats.

The Somerset Levels floods: management

At the time: the Environment Agency ran the largest pumping operation ever in Somerset, with 40 permanent pumps and 25 temporary ones. The army helped, and sandbags reinforced riverbanks.

Afterwards:

from 31 March 2014, silt was dredged from about 8 km of the Parrett and Tone, to help water drain away faster.
The Somerset 20-Year Flood Action Plan, published on 6 March 2014, combined dredging, raising roads and riverbanks, more pumping, and slowing run-off upstream with tree planting and better land management.

How successful? The Environment Agency said dredging would help water drain faster but wouldn't stop floods like this one. A mix of approaches, over many years, gives the best protection.

Key terms

Exam practice

Plan your own answer first, then open the model answers to see what each level looks like.

9 marks · about 9 minutes

Using an example, assess how far management reduced the risk from an extreme weather event in the UK.

Assess means: Weigh up how important or successful something is, then make a judgement.

Link it

Use the facts from:

The Somerset Levels floods (Somerset Levels and Moors, south-west England, December 2013 to February 2014)

Level 1 (Basic)· 3/9 marks (band 1–3)

The Somerset Levels flooded in 2014. They pumped the water away and dredged the rivers. This helped.

Why this level: A named event and two measures, but no detail on how they reduced the risk or their limits. To reach Level 2: describe what was done, with facts, and explain how each reduced the risk.

Level 2 (Clear)· 5/9 marks (band 4–6)

In winter 2013 to 2014, the Somerset Levels had one of the wettest winters on record, and about 65 km² flooded. During the flood, the Environment Agency pumped water away with 40 permanent and 25 temporary pumps. Afterwards, about 8 km of the Rivers Parrett and Tone were dredged so they could carry more water, and the 20-Year Flood Action Plan raised roads and banks.

Why this level: Clear, accurate management with facts, explained. But it doesn't assess how far it worked, or the limits. To reach Level 3: weigh up what management can and can't do, then judge how far it reduced the risk.

Level 3 (Detailed)· 8/9 marks (band 7–9)

On the Somerset Levels, about 18% of the land lies below sea level, and in winter 2013 to 2014 repeated Atlantic storms brought one of the wettest winters on record. About 65 km² flooded, and villages such as Muchelney were cut off for weeks. During the flood, the Environment Agency ran a huge pumping operation, with 40 permanent and 25 temporary pumps, which lowered the floodwater. Afterwards, from 31 March 2014, about 8 km of the Parrett and Tone were dredged, so the rivers could carry more water. The 20-Year Flood Action Plan combined dredging with raised roads and banks, more pumping and tree planting upstream to slow runoff. These measures reduced the risk, especially of villages being cut off. However, dredging alone cannot stop floods as extreme as 2014's, and high tides in the Bristol Channel can still hold back river water. Overall, management reduced the risk considerably, but only a mix of measures maintained over many years can manage it, not remove it.

Why this level: Detailed, accurate facts on management during and after the flood, with its limits weighed and a clear judgement on "how far". This is Level 3.

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