Fierce storms, lightning, ‘giant’ hail stones, torrential rains, and flash floods in parts of the UK prompt evacuations and power cuts
Flash floods have inundated thousands of homes and businesses and forced evacuations in Northern England, the Midlands, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Lightning storms have cut power to tens of thousands of people in the North East, derailed a train and closed the railway between Scotland and England.
Torrential downpours and flash floods have caused major travel disruption across a wide region.
“There was also widespread disruption on rail services and roads, with many routes under several inches of water. A number were closed,” said a report.
“Flooding and landslips are causing heavy delays on routes between Northern England and Scotland, with very limited travel options,” the railway operators reported.
Since the begging of June, heavy rain and flash floods have brought havoc to communities in west Wales, and across northern England flooding thousands of homes and businesses.
Extreme rain events have dumped more than a month’s rain in less than 24 hours in some places.
There are also reports of damage from squalls and tornadoes in the region.
Record Number of Lightning Strikes
More than 110,000 lightning bolts struck the UK, with more than 200 strikes recorded every minute during peak activity, the UK Met Office reported.
“Experts said this was 40 times higher than an average lightning storm and was the equivalent of four months’ worth of strikes in one day,” said a report.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
United States.
- The record-setting heat wave continues to expand. “Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories will be in effect throughout the Plains, the Midwest, the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Critical fire weather conditions will continue for the central Great Basin and the Plains with several large wildfires burning in Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico,” NWS reported.
US Weather Hazards Map, June 30, 2012
- Record high temperatures are expected to continue, while excessive heat also continues to worsen the air quality in various areas. “One of the worst areas is the lower end of Lake Michigan from the Wisconsin-Illinois state line to Montague, Mich,” NWS said.
NESDIS Map of Analyzed Fires from Satellite Data
Current Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Analysis – NOAA/NESDIS – June 29, 2012 – Time: See inset.
- “Excessive Heat Warnings cover the eastern half of Kansas, the western fourth of Missouri and parts of southwest Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Heat Advisories cover parts of 16 states, including: Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. An Excessive Heat Watch is in effect today for most of the Atlantic Coast,” NWS reported.
U.S. Wildfires
- Waldo Canyon Fire in Pike and San Isabel National Forests, El Paso County, CO. State of Disaster has been declared by the President. Size revised down to 17,073 acres; the deadly fire has caused at least two fatalities, destroyed at least 346 homes and damaged two dozens more. The blaze is reportedly 25% contained.
- Pine Ridge Fire. The town of De Beque remains under evacuation as the explosive blaze grows to 12,047 acres with an estimated 10% contained. Lightning ignited the blaze on Wednesday June 27th, 2012. Fire conditions are said to be extreme with high temperatures, high winds, low humidities, and extremely dry fuels.
- Wyoming. Arapaho Fire in Medicine Bow National Forest & Thunder Basin National grassland is one of three fires believed to have been ignited by lightning in the Laramie Peak area.
- “Due to the fast-moving nature of this fire, evacuations were initiated in the Cottonwood Park, Friend Park, North Laramie Trailhead and Harris Park areas. At this time it is unknown if structures were burned. Residents in and south of Esterbrook were notified of possible evacuations, but have not been evacuated at this time,” USFS reported.
- The 2-day old blaze has consumed an estimated 5,000 acres and is said to have extreme growth potential, with plume dominated behavior, rapid rate of spread (1 – 1.5 miles/hour), and long range spotting.
Arapaho Fire Map. Medicine Bow National Forest & Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming. “The fire has been creating its own weather.”
- Utah.Clay Springs Fire, Fishlake National Forest, Clay Springs, East of Oak City, Utah.
- A super explosive blaze has consumed 68,309 acres in two days.
- Fire Behavior: Today the fire made extreme runs with spotting to 1/2 a mile and growing from 50000 acres to 68000 acres, with potential for similar rates of spread tonight. … running crown fire and intense ground fire with nearly complete combustion occurring in all fuel types. Extreme resistance to control and high probability of ignition …
- Significant Events: Fire spread down Wide Canyon to the east as well as running down the back of Canyon Mountains towards I-15 and the towns of Scipio and Mills.
- Current Weather: SW winds of 17-25 mph; 98 degrees heat; 11% humidity.
- Utah. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon has declared a state of emergency due to the Rose Crest Fire in Herriman. The blaze has destroyed or damaged 5 houses and forced mandatory evacuation of some 948 houses in an area, a report said.
- The fire started mid afternoon when “a car with a hot exhaust parked on top of some dry weeds” and and set them on fire. The temperature in Herriman was 92 degrees and the relative humidity just 11 percent when the blaze ignited.
Dozens of active wildfires across the country are burning about 1 million acres in a dozen states. For details of some of the other fires see
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
Fire Earth 