Britain's Increasingly Wet Summers by Isla Campbell
Some attribute it to global warming; others simply blame freak weather conditions, but whatever the cause of the atrocious amount of rain which swept across the UK, the summer of 2008 will go down in history as one almighty washout.
Countless music festivals and other prestigious specialist outdoor exhibitions and events have all fallen victim to the weather leaving many organisers painfully counting the cost of abandonment and forcing some to even consider whether they can afford to stage such events in the future.
One of the 2008 summer's shock abandonments was the prestigious Ebor horse race meeting held annually during the third week of August at the Knavesmire in York. Usually a sun-scorched extravaganza, with tens of thousands of race-goers enjoying top quality racing, the entire meeting was scrapped this summer because of a waterlogged track after four times the average rainfall for the month fell on the course during August. The same week, the much-awaited 20/20 cricket international between South Africa and England at Riverside in Durham also became a victim of the atrocious weather as the playing surface flooded, much to the disappointment of many cricket fans who had bought tickets well in advance.
But, it wasn't just sport that fell victim to severe unseasonal precipitation. Other visitor events such as the Bristol Balloon Fiesta went ahead but suffered financial losses as the venue became waterlogged causing many potential visitors to abandon their plans. Furthermore, mass balloon take-offs and flights were severely curtailed as the weather was simply too bad to allow them to take to the air for most of the event, leaving organisers rueing their luck.
Over the past two years summer flooding has become a common problem across the UK, and it's not just events that have suffered as many residential and commercial properties have also flooded. Torrential downpours cannot be absorbed as the ground quickly becomes saturated leaving the water to simply run-off to the nearest lowest point, quickly swelling rivers and creating chaos for dwellers not only on flood plains but also those in localised water collection points. Most flash flooding occurs because of massive and sudden rainstorms overwhelming aged flood defences and drains that are often not equipped to deal with such powerful summer surges. That is because they are primarily designed for winter flooding which is a different condition altogether as the water levels rise more slowly and therefore are more manageable.
Indeed, it was flash flooding that created widespread chaos on Humberside and in the South West during 2007 and unfortunately there have been many instances of similar but less severe localised flooding reported during the summer of 2008.
Unfortunately, many people living in such areas are finding that a new home insurance quote now comes with a higher excess amount as well as higher premiums, due to their exposure to risk of flooding. But, with a promised £1billion government investment in new flood defences to come, perhaps their misery may be short-lived.
Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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