Weather Reference - Floods

Location: London (Default) Lat: 51.5N Sunrise: 05:21BST   Lon: 0E Sunset: 20:51BST

Floods | Disclaimer

Floods

A variety of metrological conditions will cause flooding, but two basic types of flooding can be distinguished, they are flash flooding and broad scale flooding.

Flash flooding occurs when intense short term rainfall cannot be dispersed by soil absorption, run off or drainage. The most frequent cause of flash flooding is a slow moving thunderstorm which can deposit huge amounts of water over a smaller area in a very short period of time. They often occur in valleys and gorges when humid air is blown towards a mountain, it will rise and may develop in to a storm unleashing torrents of rain. These floods are difficult to predict.

Broad scale flooding is normally associated with a frontal system such as a cold front or low pressure cell that produces prolonged rain over an extensive area. This flooding may take weeks to reach it's peak and normally begins when a river breaks it's bank s and saturates the ground. Hurricanes are a major cause of broad scale flooding over coastal and adjacent inland areas. These storms produce heavy rain and are normally accompanied by a storm surge that can drive water far inland. As the hurricane weakens overland, it may settle as a depression, bringing further rain.

Disclaimer

All information is presented in good faith. We cannot accept any liability for any incorrect or incomplete information. You are strongly advised to seek clarification on any information presented. If you find any errors or omissions, please contact us to let us know so that we can put it right.