Kingston town centre faces a flood alert this evening (Wednesday, February 10) as the snowfall brought by Storm Darcy combines with high tides on the River Thames.
The government's flood information service continued a recent string of amber 'Flood Alerts' forecast for the area following heavy snow and rain brought by Storm Darcy in recent days.
With temperatures rising above freezing on Wednesday as the sun came out, some of the remaining snow and ice in the area began to melt and contribute to what was described as "high fluvial flows".
Combined with high tide on the Thames, that meant the flooding of low-lying areas in Kingston was "expected" on Wednesday.
A very cold evening is on the cards with #temperatures plummeting, especially where skies are clear and there is a covering of #snow on the ground ❄️
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 10, 2021
Further snow flurries will affect some areas, especially in the east but many places will be dry with clear spells 📉 pic.twitter.com/IKCE8gJFJf
The Flood Information Service statement suggested people "please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses" as it described the possibility of floods:
"River levels on the Thames are high as a result of high tides coinciding with high fluvial flows. The next high tide is at 14:30 today (10/02/21) and forecast to reach 5.19m, the following tide is at 02:45 (11/02/21) and forecast to reach 5.14m.
"Flooding of low lying land and roads is expected. The Thames Barrier is open and not expected to close for the coming tides.
"We are closely monitoring the situation, and our staff are out checking our defences.
"Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses," a spokesperson said.
As the Surrey Comet reported previously, much research has pointed to the greater likelihood of flooding across the UK as the planet heats up amid the climate crisis.
According to the Met Office:
"Several indicators in the latest UK State of the Climate report show that the UK’s climate is becoming wetter.
"For example the highest rainfall totals over a five day period are 4 per cent higher during the most recent decade (2008-2017) compared to 1961-1990.
"Furthermore, the amount of rain from extremely wet days has increased by 17 per cent when comparing the same time periods."
A study published in 2011 showed human influence on the global heating increased the risk of floods in England and Wales by at least 20 per cent and possibly up to 90 per cent.
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