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- Floods in Carlisle - January 2005
Floods in Carlisle - January 2005
Heavy rainfall on Friday 7 January led to flooding in Carlisle on Saturday 8th January 2005.
The rainfall was prolonged over the high ground of the nearby Lake District and Pennines, draining into the River Eden on which Carlisle is situated. Places in western Scotland and north Wales also recorded high rainfall amounts from this event because of similar conditions in a south-westerly airstream.
Impacts
Three people were killed, many homes and businesses were flooded and schools were closed. There was widespread transport disruption with all of Carlisle's buses damaged. Appleby, Cockermouth and Keswick also had flooding. This was the worst flood to affect Carlisle since 1822. The following are links to the BBC News website.
Three dead, two missing in floods
Community spirit shines through
The Met Office is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Weather data
On the 7th a westerly airstream affected the UK with a near stationary weather front across northern England and southern Scotland. A very deep depression then tracked eastwards across southern Scotland on the 8th. Details of the wind associated with this system are given in this article. The highest rainfall (180.4 mm) was recorded at Rydal Hall, Cumbria and this is estimated as likely to occur less often than once in 200 years. Many places had over 100 mm of rain in one day with several having a once in more than 30 years event.
The synoptic situation at 12 GMT on Friday 7 January 2005.
Shown below are the rainfall rates detected by the rainfall radar network every 15 minutes from 1800 on 7 January to 0300 on 8 January 2005.
This map gives the distribution of rainfall on 7 January 2005 (0900 on 7th to 0900 on 8th)
| Station | County | Amount(mm) | Return Period(yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rydal Hall No 2 | Cumbria | 180.4 | >200 |
| Honister Pass | Cumbria | 164.2 | 100 |
| Crosby Garrett | Cumbria | 101.3 | 100 |
| Askham Hall | Cumbria | 83.7 | 100 |
| Sleagill | Cumbria | 87.5 | 95 |
| Scalebeck Farm | Cumbria | 91.8 | 85 |
| High Snab Farm | Cumbria | 148.0 | 80 |
| Orton Shallowford | Cumbria | 110.2 | 80 |
| Kirkby Stephen: South Road | Cumbria | 92.9 | 80 |
| Alston S Works | Cumbria | 90.2 | 70 |
| Shap | Cumbria | 118.6 | 60 |
| Burn Banks | Cumbria | 119.0 | 55 |
| Mungrisdale: Lowbeckside | Cumbria | 97.5 | 40 |
| Dale Head Hall | Cumbria | 123.6 | 30 |
| Calebreck Hall | Cumbria | 83.6 | 30 |
| Turnerford | Cumbria | 78.4 | 30 |
| Kendal S Works | Cumbria | 76.2 | 30 |
| Grasmere: Tanner Croft | Cumbria | 128.8 | 20 |
| Brathay Hall | Cumbria | 95.2 | 20 |
| Keswick | Cumbria | 94.4 | 20 |
| Carlisle | Cumbria | 48.0 | 20 |
| Elter Water: Carr Howes | Cumbria | 109.4 | 15 |
| Bampton: Swindale Head | Cumbria | 102.2 | 15 |
| Longsleddale: Swinklebank | Cumbria | 95.2 | 15 |
| Seathwaite | Cumbria | 158.6 | 10 |
| Snaizeholme | North Yorkshire | 129.6 | 80 |
| Moorland Cottage | North Yorkshire | 118.6 | 65 |
| Bainbridge | North Yorkshire | 100.0 | 60 |
| Beckermonds | North Yorkshire | 95.8 | 30 |
| Askrigg | North Yorkshire | 86.0 | 30 |
| Turnerford | North Yorkshire | 78.4 | 30 |
Additional information
Use of high-resolution NWP rainfall and river flow forecasts for advanced warning of the Carlisle flood. N. Roberts, S.J. Cole, R. Forbes, R.J. Moore, D. Boswell. Met Applications Volume 15, Royal Meteorological Society, March 2008.
