Floods in Spain. 51 dead.

Am pretty sure the much warmer weather we have right now is not usual for this time of year, and though is wonderful we should really ask why this is the case. Also am from Lancashire originally where every winter there would be snow and quite a lot of it, but for a couple of decades if not longer that hasn’t happened, however, I think winters are getting milder, wetter, and with a risk of floods in the UK. Seems windier to me as well. So many storms bringing fake force winds.
Is scary.

Correction - gale force winds

MayBee70

Is tonights repeated in the early hours? As a nocturnal person I’ve been watching Frozen Planet recently, being totally mesmerised by the beauty of the photography. But at the same time feeling so afraid for where we’re heading climate wise.

Have you got iPlayer? You could find it on there probably.

Astonishing pictures on the tv news tonight. Cars piled up along a street after a year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours.

I watched a lady up to her waist in filthy water, holding her little dog and a small case, waiting for the helicopter to winch her up, leaving her damaged home behind. It must be terrifying. Prayers for all who have lost loved ones and for all the pets and wildlife. 🙏

My poor brother lives very near Valencia.
He is usually a tough guy but with the storm he mentioned it was scary.

Hope he’s okay Cath9. 🤞

My DS and family live a bit further south than Valencia. They have already had flooding in the town (he lives in the countryside) but are on red alert for tonight. After that he said the rain should stop. I am hoping it will not be as bad as they are predicting.
The poor people of Valencia. The pictures are quite shocking.

Every year this happens to some degree. It’s called the Gota Fria and one year our villa in a Spanish village was almost destroyed by it. Our main concern was our Cattery. People arrived with their cats because we were higher up the hill and we weren’t happy to take them. My husband got stuck in and was up to his waist in water and petrified our swimming pool might give way under the pressure, drowning all the cats beneath the pool but luckily it started to ease off just in time and our villa and cats survived.

It always surprises me that people on holiday in Spain and the Spanish islands don’t seem to realise that when it rains there, it really DOES rain. Most towns and villages have huge storm drains which look like empty canals most of the time but fill up rapidly when the rain comes and look like raging torrents.

We haven't been to Nerja for quite a few years but remember seeing what looked like a dry river bed through the outskirts of the town. I am sure I remember boulders in it which must have been brought down from the mountains in a torrent of water. We couldn't imagine then what it must be like, but having seen Boscastle and now Valencia and Italy last month we can imagine how terrifying and destructive it must be.

There is an exceptional article on The BBC which covers the latest reporting from Valencia for those interested.

Approx. 100 people had died.

The numerous canine / feline rescues have been in the process of fostering and rehoming the poor furbabies to better locations and numerous people are donating vans, food, blankets, bottles of water, towels etcetra.

The shelters as well are being funded for clothing, diapers (Pampers), bedding, food etcetra.

Many women in The Valencia region are of British nationality and are a close knit group providing funding and working together to save the animals and also to assist with accomodation and funds to cover the enormous expenses to help those who have lost their homes, cars and also loved ones.

It is quite a horror story over there.

The local Spanish Television News Networks have done a fine job updating 24 hours ALERT Phone numbers and websites and Police assistance online and via telephone.

How terrible this is - hard to imagine, although we have had severe flooding here too in the past years, Somerset Levels and other areas across the country. I am so grateful for our soft and gentle climate, which rarely bites us in this way. Long may it last...but that is perhaps overly optimistic in view of the behaviour of humans.

Whitewavemark2

Goodness knows what is going to happen. My son was talking about the North Atlantic Drift.

It is known that because of climate change it has been slowing but there is evidence that it is stopping. What on earth that means for the UKs temperate climate goodness only knows.

I guess the "North Atlantic Drift" means = "Gulf Stream"??

I came across an article in the last few days and just got the general drift of it being lots of scientific type people were saying they reckoned Britain's "Gulf Stream" (which is a necessity to keep "our" climate as per normal) has a high chance of stopping next year. Cue for sitting there horrified wondering if they were right and also right about what our weather would be like (ie unmanageable) without it. One horrified flip of the page and thinking "I'm in my early 70's - I don't really want to read that the chances of me going on into my 80's - or even late 70's - have just totally gone...as I wouldnt even try to live in that sort of weather personally".

Very mixed feelings about "If our climate flipped like that". Other than "Up with that I would not put" personally.

It's awful isn't it? It seems Mother Nature is fighting back. A good friend's family live in the affected area and there's nothing he can do but watch the news.

The news pictures are almost unbelievable. GlobalGiving have started a donation request, but that's not a charity I am familiar with. I hope the Red Cross open a site soon.

“Fur babies”? Gah.

It is interesting to watch what the local River Trust is doing in our area. They are installing weeping dams to slow down water flow from the hills and planting small groups of trees which also stops run off. The bed of the stream running past my house has dropped about 3 feet in the 40 years we have lived here so it is good to see something is being done here to reduce flooding.

Which county or area are you in MilestOne?

Many people in the region are angry at the slow response to the catastrophe that was coming. People were getting alerts long after the water was rising.
It is a known phenomenon in the area caused by warm air from the med hitting the cols air.
One gentleman received an alert when he was up to his neck in water ( in his car)

"I guess the "North Atlantic Drift" means = "Gulf Stream"??

The North Atlantic Drift is just a part of the Gulf Stream, ie the part in the North Atlantic that heads towards Europe.

BBBC is showing dreadful scenes.

Yes we must stop flying aeroplanes, driving cars, using fridges, washing machines, dishwashers ….

No you don’t have to stop all those things - you have to stop the use of fossil fuels - we have the technology to be more sustainable and cleaner.we just have to commit to it

And stop building on flood plains and concreting over green areas. We must take active measurements to slow river flow, clean our existing drains and build more storm drains and defences. As well as all the climate change sustainability measures.

Be prepared for what is going to happen.