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On 16th October 1987, southern Britain was hit by hurricane force winds, the worst storm to occur in Britain since 1703. Twenty years on, Britain is remembering the devastation caused by what came to be known as 'The Great Storm.' 15 million trees were uprooted due to the wind, as well as the fact that a wet autumn in general had made the ground very muddy.

The falling trees caused destruction to buildings and vehicles, and blocked roads and railway lines, causing everyone from commuters to school-children to stay at home. There were also black-outs across the area, as power lines were damaged by falling trees and flying debris. People resorted to candles and torches for light, and gas stoves and open fires to cook food.

The storm raged for 4 hours before dawn and claimed 18 lives. The effects of the bad weather were heightened by the fact that most people were completely unprepared because the weather forecasters were caught out.

Earlier that week, weather forecasts had predicted severe weather. But forecasters thought it would miss Britain and only affect the English Channel.

The freak storm caused damage of more than £1billion pounds and hundreds of people sustained injuries.

But could the same thing happen today in Britain? Well, as a result of climate change many people think that sudden and severe weather changes are more likely. However, meteorological technology has improved and now uses satellites to get a much more accurate picture of future weather. So if another Great Storm comes along, the British public should be better warned and prepared!

Vocabulary

hit by
affected by (negatively and strongly)

hurricane force winds
violent winds which have a circular movement

devastation
a lot of severe damage

uprooted
pulled out of the ground (including the roots)

destruction
when something is destroyed or very badly damaged

commuters
people who travel to work and back every day, using the same route

black-out
when all lights are suddenly switched off because of problems with electricity supply

debris
broken or torn pieces (left from the destruction of something larger)

resorted to
here, were forced to use

open fires
fires that are not enclosed or covered

raged
was very strong and violent

claimed
caused the death of

heightened
made worse

caught out
taken unawares/by surprise; put into an unexpected difficult situation

freak storm
a storm that is very unusual and/or unexpected

climate change
the general weather conditions that are becoming different from the usual for a particular place because of human activity

meteorological
relating to weather conditions

the British public
the population of Great Britain