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| Can building snowmen really help to prevent flooding? | Can building snowmen really help to prevent flooding? |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| By Jon Welch BBC News Online | By Jon Welch BBC News Online |
| As government directives go, advising people to build a snowman to help prevent flooding is among the more bizarre. | As government directives go, advising people to build a snowman to help prevent flooding is among the more bizarre. |
| An Environment Agency spokesman has been widely quoted as suggesting snowmen could help stop floods by slowing down thawing. | An Environment Agency spokesman has been widely quoted as suggesting snowmen could help stop floods by slowing down thawing. |
| The agency has since qualified its comments, saying that it is unlikely to make much difference. | The agency has since qualified its comments, saying that it is unlikely to make much difference. |
| But experts say that, as strange as it may sound, there is some truth behind the suggestion. | But experts say that, as strange as it may sound, there is some truth behind the suggestion. |
| 'Makes some sense' | 'Makes some sense' |
| Dr Sim Reaney, lecturer in physical geography at the University of Durham, said: "On a very practical level, it does actually make some sense. | Dr Sim Reaney, lecturer in physical geography at the University of Durham, said: "On a very practical level, it does actually make some sense. |
| "I've read through some of the stuff myself. The more you pile up snow, the longer it takes to melt. | "I've read through some of the stuff myself. The more you pile up snow, the longer it takes to melt. |
| "It was an interesting headline but there is some science behind it. I can see how it would work. | "It was an interesting headline but there is some science behind it. I can see how it would work. |
| "Rain on snow is a big cause of flood events. Any snow that is compacted takes longer to thaw, whether it be on a road or as a snowman." | "Rain on snow is a big cause of flood events. Any snow that is compacted takes longer to thaw, whether it be on a road or as a snowman." |
| 'White terracotta army' | 'White terracotta army' |
| Dr Reaney said that in urban areas, where melted snow runs directly off roads and pavements into drains, snowmen would make more of a difference than in fields where it would take longer for the water to filter into watercourses. | Dr Reaney said that in urban areas, where melted snow runs directly off roads and pavements into drains, snowmen would make more of a difference than in fields where it would take longer for the water to filter into watercourses. |
| "You are making a difference," he said. | "You are making a difference," he said. |
| "It is action at a sensitive place in the landscape. You are doing something where it needs to happen." | "It is action at a sensitive place in the landscape. You are doing something where it needs to happen." |
| But Dr Reaney was sceptical that snowmen could have a major impact on the rate of thaw. | But Dr Reaney was sceptical that snowmen could have a major impact on the rate of thaw. |
| "If everybody made a snowman, it doesn't actually take up that much snow," he said. | "If everybody made a snowman, it doesn't actually take up that much snow," he said. |
| "The country is covered from top to bottom." | "The country is covered from top to bottom." |
| Weather forecaster Jim Bacon of WeatherQuest, based at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, agreed. | Weather forecaster Jim Bacon of WeatherQuest, based at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, agreed. |
| "If you look at the masses of fields we have, you'd probably need a white terracotta army," he said. | "If you look at the masses of fields we have, you'd probably need a white terracotta army," he said. |
| previous slide next slide | previous slide next slide |
| But Mr Bacon said the underlying theory behind the suggestion was sound. | But Mr Bacon said the underlying theory behind the suggestion was sound. |
| "Snow is melting all the time from the warmth of the ground underneath it, and the warmth of the air moving over it," he said. | "Snow is melting all the time from the warmth of the ground underneath it, and the warmth of the air moving over it," he said. |
| "If you roll it up into a ball, you're decreasing the surface area and that would slow down the rate of melting." | "If you roll it up into a ball, you're decreasing the surface area and that would slow down the rate of melting." |
| '60 million snowmen' | '60 million snowmen' |
| The flaw in the theory, he said, was the time lag between the snow melting and the water reaching rivers. | The flaw in the theory, he said, was the time lag between the snow melting and the water reaching rivers. |
| "A lot of the time when you get flooding, it's due to the slow accumulation of water. It takes a while for water to filter through the ground and into the rivers. | "A lot of the time when you get flooding, it's due to the slow accumulation of water. It takes a while for water to filter through the ground and into the rivers. |
| "It might well be that the rate of melt from snowmen coincides with the water going into the rivers over a longer time frame so it wouldn't help." | "It might well be that the rate of melt from snowmen coincides with the water going into the rivers over a longer time frame so it wouldn't help." |
| Professor Kevin Hiscock, an expert in hydrology at UEA, said: "You'd need, say, 10 sq metres (107 sq ft) of snow to make a snowman. | |
| "The catchment area of the River Wensum in Norfolk is 600 sq km (231 sq miles), so that's the equivalent of 60 million snowmen." | "The catchment area of the River Wensum in Norfolk is 600 sq km (231 sq miles), so that's the equivalent of 60 million snowmen." |
| So what can you do? The latest advice from the Environment Agency is perhaps more sensible, if not quite as much fun. | So what can you do? The latest advice from the Environment Agency is perhaps more sensible, if not quite as much fun. |
| "The most important thing anyone can do to protect themselves from flooding is to check out if they are in a flood risk area, and sign up to free flood warnings on the Environment Agency website," said a spokesman. | "The most important thing anyone can do to protect themselves from flooding is to check out if they are in a flood risk area, and sign up to free flood warnings on the Environment Agency website," said a spokesman. |