dumnonia

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

Landslide and rockfall warning for south-west England


Flooding in  Walton On Trent, South Derbyshire (25/12/12)

Landslide and rockfall warning for south-west England


It is worried about people going for Boxing Day walks, and is advising extra caution near cliff edges.
A rare landslide and rockfall warning has been issued for south-west England by the British Geological Survey (BGS).
The BGS has concerns about the stability of cliff edges and cliff sides because of the quantity and intensity of the recent heavy rain.
Meanwhile, there are weather warnings for rain and flooding in England and icy roads in northern Scotland.
The British Geological Survey (BGS), along with other agencies, feeds information into the Hazard Warning Centre at the Met Office in Exeter.
The South West Coastal Path, which covers most of the Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset coasts, runs through areas which are potentially at risk.
The Met Office said an area of heavy rain would move across the country during Wednesday. It said that given the continuing saturated state of the ground this may lead to further localised flooding.
There is also a warning of icy roads for the Shetland Isles, the Orkney Isles and north-eastern parts of Scotland.
Icy stretches are expected to form overnight, especially on surfaces where showers have washed off salt treatments. The Met Office said this could lead to difficult driving conditions.

Travel and weather information


    The Environment Agency has 151 flood warnings and 252 flood alerts in place in England and Wales. There are no flood warnings in Scotland.
    Weather forecasters have predicted that wet weather is set to continue until at least Friday, potentially bringing further flooding to parts of the UK.
    The Environment Agency has said many places will stay on flood alert despite a slight easing of weather conditions.
    Met Office figures suggest 2012 is set to be one of the wettest years since records began in 1910.
    Before December, the average rainfall for the year so far was 1,202mm - placing it 13th in the list of wettest years.
    Due to the deluge of rain in the run up to Christmas, forecasters say 2012 is now likely to finish with one of the highest rainfall totals on record.
    The year 2000 remains the UK's wettest year, with an average rainfall of 1,337mm.
    To access more information, from your mobile, visit the BBC