UK Extreme Weather File
The types of extreme weather the UK faces, the evidence that it is becoming more extreme, and a named recent event: Storm Desmond in Cumbria, December 2015, with its effects and the responses to it.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
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The UK has extreme weather too
It is easy to think of extreme weather as something that happens far away, but the UK faces its own hazards: heavy rain and flooding, powerful storms, snow and cold spells, and summer heat and drought. There is growing evidence that these events are becoming more frequent and more intense. This module looks at the types, the evidence, and one named event in detail.
Terms for the hazard file
Learn these before you sort the effects.
Effects and responses
Sort what you write into clear pairs to score well.
Sort before you write
A strong answer never lists effects at random. Split each effect into whether it happened directly at the time or followed later, and split each response into whether it came at once or over the years that followed. Then tie every point to the named event so the marker sees you know a real case.
Match the hazard type
- heavy rain
- strong winds
- snow and cold
- summer heat
- rivers overflow and land floods
- trees fall and roofs are damaged
- roads freeze and pipes burst
- drought and water shortages
Sort the Storm Desmond facts
- homes flooded in Carlisle
- power lost across the region
- families rescued by boat
- stronger flood defences built later
- a primary effect
- a secondary effect
- an immediate response
- a long term response
Spot the evidence
Which of these is evidence that UK weather is becoming more extreme?
- Record-breaking rainfall and temperature events are happening more often.
- The UK still has four seasons.
- It rains somewhere in the UK most weeks.
- The UK is an island.
Types of UK extreme weather
Select the TWO examples of extreme weather the UK experiences.
- Flooding after prolonged heavy rain
- Heatwaves and summer drought
- Large volcanic eruptions
- Frequent large tsunamis
Count the days away
When a home was flooded, a family had to leave on the 2nd day and could return on the 16th day. Subtract to find how many days they were away from home. What is the answer?
Order the response
Put the response to a flood in order, from immediate to long term.
- Issue a flood warning
- Evacuate people at risk
- Rescue those who are stranded
- Build stronger defences afterwards
Complete the case file
Storm Desmond struck _____ in December 2015. Prolonged heavy rain caused widespread _____ as rivers overflowed. Homes were damaged directly, which is a _____ effect, while the loss of power that followed is a _____ effect.
Spot the secondary effects
Tap the TWO secondary effects of a flood, the ones that follow on afterwards.
- power supplies cut off
- shops closed for weeks
- homes flooded at the time
- roads washed away at the time
Classify the case
Read each detail and choose the best label.
- During a flood, water enters homes and ruins the ground floors. Which type of effect is this?
- In the days after a flood, shops cannot open and people lose income. Which type of effect is this?
- Years after a flood, a town builds higher flood walls. Which type of response is this?
Write the case study
Explain, using Storm Desmond, how a UK extreme weather event affects people and how they respond, and give the evidence that UK weather is becoming more extreme.
- Name the event and where and when it happened
- Give one primary and one secondary effect
- Give one immediate and one long term response
- State one piece of evidence that UK weather is becoming more extreme