Floods in the United Kingdom

Unseasonably heavy rains brought serious flooding to the United Kingdom and Ireland in February 2014. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite observed high water on the Severn and Thames Rivers on February 16, 2014 (top). For comparison, the lower image shows the same area on February 19, 2013. These false-color images use a combination of visible and infrared light to make it easier to distinguish between water and land. River water appears navy blue to black, and vegetation is bright green. Clouds are white or pale blue-green and cast shadows.

• References

• BBC (2014, February 17) Shropshire flooding: Six flood warnings on River Severn. Accessed February 17, 2014.
• Environment Agency (2014, February 16) Flood forecast improving but the risk of flooding continues. Accessed February 17, 2014.
• Independent (2014, February 13) UK weather: Flooding in Worcester causes River Severn to hit highest level on record. Accessed February 17, 2014.
• Met Office (2014, February) A Global Perspective on the Recent Storms and Floods in the UK. Accessed February 17, 2014.
• United Kingdom (2014, February) UK floods 2014: government response. Accessed February 17, 2014.

NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Adam Voiland.

Instrument: 

Aqua - MODIS - NASA