Flood warnings remain in almost every region of UK

[malaise]

People watch and photograph enormous waves as they break on Porthcawl harbour, South Wales, where very strong winds and high seas create dangerous weather conditions. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2014/jan/06/uk-weather-live-wind-and-waves-prompt-more-flood-warnings

[dipsydoodle]

1. Great picture that.

Despite the rain and wind the temperature is just over 50f which broadly speaking is mild for this time of year here in the UK.

[malaise]

2. You'd never see me in that photo

I think people are batshit crazy

It's overcast here - light rain, pleasantly cool.

[MineralMan]

3. The people standing there in that photo are nuts.

People used to do that during storms in California, where I used to live. A few died after being washed out to sea by a huge wave. Now, the police block the roads to the place. Common sense appears to be quite uncommon.

[malaise]

5. Nuts?

batshit crazy. You'd never find me there.

[ananda]

4. This is the result of a climate change dynamic that started last summer...

... I believe, when the very warm air from the Sahara moved over the
North Atlantic and sat there for a longer time than usual. When this
air mixed with colder air from the north during late fall and winter,
voila! the mess they have now.

However, people in the UK are more well-thinking and rational about
climate change, and some officials are calling for measures to deal
with further incidences in the future because they say this was all
predicted by scientists.

[malaise]

7. Yep they are calling for more flood protection

My fear is that one of these severe storms will destroy the existing storm protection

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. We're calling for it, but the Tories are cutting it

UK flooding: Environment Agency to cut hundreds of jobs

The Environment Agency has confirmed that jobs in flood protection in England will be cut as part of a major restructuring of the organisation.

About 1,500 jobs are to be lost at the agency although it is not clear how many flood-related posts will go.

But a spokesman for the agency told the BBC the cuts would have an impact on flood operations such as risk management, maintenance and modelling.
...
But he told BBC News it would seek to "protect front-line responses and flood incident management" and provide the "best services" possible with the reduced resources available.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25587555

This is the Tory mentality - call a few jobs 'front-line', because they get the pictures on the news, and pretend they're the only ones that matter, while getting rid of people whose job is to prevent the damage in the first place. Which cuts expenditure this year, but increases it vastly more in the future - when the current Tories won't be there to take the blame.

[malaise]

9. Wow - Cameron will soon be history

Asshole

[MineralMan]

6. Three people have died from being washed away by waves in Wales.

http://news.yahoo.com/uk-faces-more-flooding-wave-stormy-weather-111430285.html

[malaise]

10. I thought it was three of those competing for the

Darwin award - sad