1st February - Today's News: Great Flood of 1953 Remembered

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the worst natural disaster to hit Britain in modern times.  A North Sea storm on the 31st January 1953 caused a massive tidal surge to inundate large parts of the east coast of England overnight and into the 1st February.  307 people died on land with another 177 perishing at sea, including over 130 aboard a ferry in the Irish Sea.   On the continent, over 3,000 died in the Netherlands and Belgium as sea defences were totally overwhelmed.

Great Flood of 1953: 60th anniversary events held

Legacy of Britain's great flood

Heroism and tragedy in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex flood

1953 flood rescue airman gets Hunstanton honour

Princess Victoria disaster: Larne service marks 60th anniversary

Gallery of images

And from the Met Office, 1953 east coast flood - 60 years on

Meanwhile, MPs call for urgent action to reduce flooding inland - er, dredge rivers, keep culverts and brooks clear of debris and stop building on flood plains?


Man dies as wind and rain sweep across Devon on Tuesday

It's been a mild week here, and on the near continent: in the Netherlands, warm weather records broken, wind causes flight delays

No surprise to hear that January shatters Australian heat records

Gusts and golf-ball size hail hit NSW

Storms leave two dead in Georgia and Tennessee

Chevalla in Andhra Pradesh hails the 'snow' - though it appears the hail (not snow) was not 'boulder sized' as some reports would have it.

Mozambique flood toll rises

Madagascar cyclone kills five

Cyclone did not cause 2012 record low for Artic ice - cue much gnashing of teeth from the 'so-called sceptics'

New Greenland research station to monitor climate change

Ozone depletion trumps greenhouse gas increase in jet-stream shift in the southern hemisphere

And NASA's Cassini watches Saturn storm choke on its own tail