Bizarre natural disasters in the UK – what’s going on?

The British have always been obsessed with the weather, even though their little island gets a fairly easy ride from Mother Nature compared with other parts of the world. The location of the British Isles on planet Earth means it is at a safe distance from hurricane zones, fault lines, or areas of volcanic activity. There's no monsoon season, and El Niño is something that happens on the opposite side of the world. So while the climate in the UK may not be the best in the world, it's certainly not the worst either.

Which makes it seem all the more weird when natural disasters do occur - and they seem to be happening more frequently in recent years. 2007 saw major floods across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with worse predicted to come. And in the first few months of 2008, we've already seen gale-force winds, snow in April, and even an earthquake which was felt around many parts of the country. There definitely seems to be something strange going on.

Events like this are part and parcel of everyday life in other parts of the world. But, in a country where a few inches of rain or ‘the wrong kind of snow' can bring traffic and public transport to a standstill, these events really do seem bizarre. So what's causing them?

In the case of floods, storms, and unseasonal weather, it's easy to see that global climate change could be a factor. But what about earthquakes?

In actual fact, the British Geological Survey records around 200 small earthquakes in the UK every year - but only around an eighth of these are strong enough to feel. Larger quakes like the one that occurred in March 2008 do occur every 30 years or so, but usually off-shore. The last big on-land earthquake in Britain happened in Wales in 1984. So, while an event like that is uncommon, it does happen.

And it's not like the UK hasn't experienced strange weather before. In 1976 the country saw its hottest summer since records began, and England was rocked by major storms in 1987. But recently, strange and climactic weather conditions have been occurring more frequently across Great Britain, causing damage to homes and property and a corresponding rise in insurance claims for flood damage. Insurance companies are responding accordingly, particularly where floods are concerned. Homeowners in certain parts of the country have found it increasingly more difficult and expensive to insure against floods in the last few years.

There are many reasons why bizarre weather occurs in the UK. Partly, it's down to the natural order of things. Partly, it's down to global warming and other ecological issues. But for a nation obsessed with ‘talking about the weather', it does at least provide a conversation starter.