This topic is an excellent area for looking at case studies. Case studies are important as pupils are then able to write at length and in detail in an exam. In recent years there have been a number of extreme weather events. These include:
- 2003 - Europe suffered an intense heatwave. The highest temperature recorded in the UK was 38.5 degrees Celsius.
- 2007 - Floods across the UK, in particular Hull and Sheffield, caused many thousands of people damage and loss of homes. Not only did rivers burst their banks but pumping stations also failed due to the sheer volume of water.
- 2008 - Further floods occurred as torrential rain fell on already saturated ground. The most affected areas were Somerset and Northumberland.
Some people, particularly in mainstream media, have linked the extreme events to global warming. Although it is likely that extreme weather events may become more frequent it is accepted that no one event can be blamed on global warming.
Probably the most popular case study for flooding is the 2004 floods that occurred in Boscastle. The media provided heavy coverage of the event and as such there is a huge library of resources available such as news reports, videos, pictures and eyewitness accounts. The video link below leads to Sky News video captured during the floods. There is no commentary but you can clearly see the power of the water as it surges through the small community.
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