A showery day in the isles today, but nothing as compared to the massive floods in Cumbria, NW England. Up to 370 mm, 14 inches, fell in the mountains there, and all this water had to go somewhere. Like turning into a 20 mph torrent in the streets of Cockermouth and washing away bridges (like at Workington on the coast). At the moment, a search is underway for a policeman who went missing in the collapse of a bridge at Workington overnight. The imagery on TV last night was unbelieveable, and it is worse in daylight. More rain is on the way in from the Atlantic, with high winds.
I am pleased with the appointment of Herman van Rompuy as president of the EU. Van Rompuy was appointed Prime Minister of Belgium a year ago, after attempts to form a national government ran into protracted difficulties. He was brought in as a safe pair of hands, and if he has been able to keep the perennially frought politics of Belgium in line, then he can also sort the EU out.
More later.
The policeman has been found dead. He was apparently trying to guide traffic at the time the bridge collapsed.
ReplyDeleteI offer my condolensces to his family and friends.
We should all realise and accept that the force of nature is beyond our ability to control.