Environment

Bradford is getting warmer, our summers will be drier, but the rain may cause more frequent flooding due to more sudden downpours and we may see more extremes in our weather.

The main weather events likely to impact on the Bradford District are:

• Floods
• Droughts
• Heat Waves
• Severe Winds
• Severe Snowfall

Here's a few of the extreme weather events that happened in recent years.

• Floods in Keighley, Bingley and Shipley during 2000.
• River Aire bursts its banks.
• Drainage problems in the region as a result of increased rainfall.
• Stormy weather with gale force winds.
• Storm damage to houses in the Bradford District.
• Weather damage to historic buildings and heritage sites in the Bradford District.
• Heat waves in the Bradford District with temperatures reaching record highs.
• The hottest year ever on record was 2003 with temperature reaching 38.5 degrees in some parts of the UK.
• One summer a record 4,000 people visited Ilkley Lido outdoor swimming pool in one day!
• 180 Hectares of moorland in Ilkley caught fire partly due to very hot summer temperatures.
• Lack of snow in winter 2006 and early 2007 meant that the frequency of highway gritting was less than half the District's usual average.
• Severe rainfall in 2008 caused surface water flooding incidents in Burley in Wharfedale, Ilkley and Menston, and the closure of the A629 near Denholme.
• Heavy snowfall in Dec 2010 and January 2011 caused transport delays and school closures across the District.