A2 Weather and Climate CASE STUDIES for June 2012

Case studies for weather and climate @A2

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Weather and Climate

A2 Level

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2009/2010 Winter Snow - CAUSES (pg2)

  • Air masses colliding over the UK
  • Atmospheric temperature had dropped below 0 degrees C
  • Jet streams and the colliding air masses trapped the cold weather above the UK
  • It is believed to be a 1 in 20 year event!
  • Very cold Air and High Humidity = SNOW ....................*

During the snow time period winds where coming from the east of Europe which is significenty colder than the UK during the Winter months. Aswell as this there was a trough above the UK causing clouds and water vapoure to rise very high into the atmosphere will being pushed towards the south-east of the country. This rising water vapour and clouds caused high humidity rates and this along with temperatures below 0'C with very cold air lead to pre-longed periods precipitation as snow.

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2009/2010 Winter Snow - Effects (pg3)

  • 9,000 Schools were forced to close
  • Costed the UKs economy 1.2bn pounds
  • Tubes where closed
  • 5 Eurostar trains broke down and got stuck in the EuroTunnel
  • 9 Died on Ice
  • Potholes
  • Hyperthemia intakes where higher than normal
  • 1 in 5 couldn't get into work
  • All buses in London were cancelled
  • All South-Eastern train Services cancelled
  • Very Dangerous Driving Conditions - Increase in the number of accidents
  • 3000 police calls for crashes on certain days compared to the average of 20
  • 650 Ambulance call outs between midnight to 7am at start of the snowfall
  • Emergency Service call outs were substantially higher than normal
  • 6.4mn of work
  • Air Travel Disruption
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2009/2010 Winter Snow - 10 KEY EFFECTS (pg4)

1) 9 People died on Ice,

2) 1 in 5 Couldn't get to work

3) Cost to economy was 1.2billion

4) 3,000 schools closed on first day of snow

5) 9,000 schools ended up closing

6) 5 EuroStar trains broke down causing major disruption

7) Public Transpport Suffered, eg London buses and South-Eastern Trains ALL Cancelled

8) 3,000 police calls a day for Hants and IOW for crashes

9) 27,000 Sledges sold in one day by one retailer

10) Pizza sales increased by 30%

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2003 European Heat Wave - MINI CASE STUDY

Background:

  • Sarted on the 5th August 2003
  • Average Tmperature 25degrees (PARIS)
  • Max temperature in Europe over 43.3 Degrees (PARIS)
  • Little cloud cover
  • Caused by the Tropical Continental Air Mass
  • High Pressure
  • 20 to 40% less rainfall than the average for this time of year
  • UK Maximum was 38.2 degrees in Kent

EFFECTS:

  • 5,000 died in france
  • Forest Fires
  • Droughts and Hose pipe bans
  • 10% of the glaciers in the Alps melted causing flash floods
  • 330,000 hectares of land destroyed by forest fires (Portugal)
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2003 European Heat Wave - MINI CASE STUDY

Effects:

  • 35,000 Deaths across 5 Nations
  • Bpurnemouth got around 100,000 visitors around this time going mainly for the seaside.
  • Railway Lines buckled
  • Dehydration
  • Crop failures by lack of water, for example wheat production was down by 10%
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Cyclone Nargis - Mynamar (Burma) - SE Asia

Still to do

Cyclone Nargis (Hurricane in a LEDC)

Hurricane Katrine (Hurricane in a MEDC)

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