Yesterday's disaster reminds us what a flash flood really is.

To use the expression to describe 12 inches of water under
the local railway bridge after a heavy shower is as daft --
even dafter, I reckon -- than the ubiquitous mini-tornado.

Philip Eden

"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Yesterday's disaster reminds us what a flash flood really is.

To use the expression to describe 12 inches of water under
the local railway bridge after a heavy shower is as daft --
even dafter, I reckon -- than the ubiquitous mini-tornado.

Philip Eden


Like most real flash floods it was extremely localised, a narrow band along
that part of the north Cornwall coast. Much of Cornwall was quite sunny mid
afternoon. I just hope there was someone recording rainfall in the right
spot.

On 13th November 2002, the day of the St Ives flood, the storm moved north
from Penzance to St Ives. I recorded 84.5mm, there was 61.7mm 2 miles NW of
me, 83.0mm at Hayle, 76mm at St Ives. I think the area behind Boscastle must
have received significantly more than this. It is on the west side of Bodmin
Moor, and therefore prone to heavy falls of rain, but nothing remotely like
this has happened before.

--
Graham
Penzance Weather www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk/weather.html

I was in something very similar to Boscastle and Lynmouth in the upper Rhone
area of the Alps in 1974 and was able to recently write about this awe
inspiring experience for primary aged children as part of the Literacy Hour
for the National Curriculum. My message to them was never underestimate the
power of the elements. The cacophony of noise produced by cars, parts of
buildings, trees etc being swept along by a maelstrom of mud coloured water
is something I will never forget.
I am soon going back to visit the area 30 years on after being evacuated
from it to see how it has recovered. In fact I shall be staying at a place
that was devastated by another even worse flood of catastrophic proportions
on the 24th September 1993. You can imagine the flow when the hills of
Cornwall are replaced by 3500 metre high mountains and 200 mm of rain
overnight on top of glacier and snow melt. I am though not going to be
situated on the valley floor!

Ian Currie- Coulsdon
www.frostedearth.com


"Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote in message
...
Yesterday's disaster reminds us what a flash flood really is.

To use the expression to describe 12 inches of water under
the local railway bridge after a heavy shower is as daft --
even dafter, I reckon -- than the ubiquitous mini-tornado.

Philip Eden

In article , "Philip Eden" philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom writes:

Yesterday's disaster reminds us what a flash flood really is.

To use the expression to describe 12 inches of water under
the local railway bridge after a heavy shower is as daft --
even dafter, I reckon -- than the ubiquitous mini-tornado.


I agree. There are floods, sudden floods and flash floods, severe floods
and minor floods, but news journalists want everything to be sensationalised.

ITN wanted to know why this rainfall was not predicted (sensationalising
again) so who do they first turn to?

A meteorologist?

Andrew Bond. The man who predicted the "early summer washout".



No Cheers,


keith





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