Church Stretton garden heatwave bonfire plea after blaze causes power loss
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
'Filthy' Aberthaw quarry dust covers village homes and cars
Dust blown in from a quarry has covered homes and possessions and caused sore eyes and difficulties with breathing, residents of a south Wales community fuel ash (PFA) blew in to the villages of Fonmon and Font-y-Gary, Vale of Glamorgan, from nearby Aberthaw Quarry after a period of dry and windy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that bedroom window sills were covered in thick black dust and reported feeling like they had sand paper in their company RWE, which is carrying out works to clean the site and remove the PFA, apologised and said it was "quickly and diligently" trying to address the issue. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it was investigating the works to make sure proper controls were put in place."I noticed that the soles of our feet… were absolutely black," said local resident Charlotte Troth, as she recalled one of the worst incidents of ash being blown into Fonmon recently."[They were] filthy black and I'd only walked inside my house without my shoes on."Then I started looking all over the house and my two-year old daughter's bedroom window sills were covered in thick black dust," she said, adding it had been warm that day and the windows had been open. Ms Troth said the whole house was covered in thick black dust."We went into panic mode… [and] just started deep cleaning everything," she said."My eyes were feeling gritty and when I woke up in the morning it was like having sand paper in my eyes… and they felt really dry."The residents recalled three days in particular when the dust clouds were at their worst: 4 July, 8 July and 14 residents said dust had been on their property and possessions most days, with it returning to the surface of cars, patios and even kitchen floors hours after cleaning it resident Denise Cooper compared the dust to a mist "from one end from the castle right the way down to past Fonmon cross roads". "That's happened three times, this mist… but in terms of dust levels in our homes [it's] every day."Another resident of Fonmon, Denise Martlew, said: "I've had to keep the windows and doors closed obviously because I can't breathe it in."You open it for 10 minutes and the dust, it comes in," she said."We shouldn't have to live like this in this day and age."We are not living on a coal site, but we're experiencing the same effects."Denise Cooper said she first complained about the dust on 7July, and claimed it had caused her to develop a chest infection."I couldn't breathe. My garden furniture, my patio. Absolutely black," she said. RWE said the properties of PFA were "well known" and classified as non-hazardous, adding "decades of research and ash re-use confirm that PFA is stable and non-toxic".It said the activity at Aberthaw Quarry, which they have contracted Walters UK to undertake, involved essential works as part of the company's obligation to remediate and transform the site for future benefit and agricultural quarry was used as a site to transport and store PFA from Aberthaw Power Station, Wales' last coal-fired power station, which closed in of the former power station is expected to be completed by 2027, but there is also a 17 million tonne mound of compacted waste ash on site which will take years to be removed and processed. Anne Sloman, who lives in Font-y-Gary, is also concerned about the future of the ash added: "[We're] worried to the extent that possibly next year we'll put our house up and move."We've been there 27 years, love the spot, but this is a huge impact on our lives."RWE said the recent heat wave and strong winds, combined with the necessary removal of vegetation prior to reprofiling works, had contributed to unintended dust emissions from the site."RWE has been working with its contractor, Walters UK, to minimise local disruption through dust suppression measures, such as the use of water bowsers and halting works when necessary," a spokesperson said. Vale of Glamorgan Council was approached for a comment.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Torrential rain leaves at least 18 dead in South Korea, trail of devastation
GAPYEONG, South Korea, July 21 (Reuters) - Severe wet weather in South Korea eased on Monday following days of torrential rain that triggered floods and landslides and left at least 18 people dead, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said on Monday. Nine people remained missing as of Sunday evening, the ministry said, with residents of the worst-hit areas in shock. At Gapyeong, some 62 kilometres (38.5 miles) northeast of the capital Seoul, some residents recalled narrow escapes from the floods after 173 millimetres (6.8 inches) of rain deluged the area over just 17 hours on Sunday. Gapyeong was among a number of places that saw a record amount of rain in a single day and broke the previous high for national daily precipitation of 156.3 mm that was set on September 30, 1998. "The ground just sank beneath me, and the water rose all the way up to my neck. Luckily, there was an iron pipe nearby. I held on to it with all my strength," said Ahn Gyeong-bun, the owner of a restaurant that was almost completely destroyed. Two people died and four were missing after a landslide engulfed homes around Gapyeong and floods swept away vehicles as of Sunday, the ministry said. For those remaining like Ahn, an uncertain future awaits. "I've run this restaurant for 10 years ... What am I supposed to do now?" said Ahn, as she stood next to the badly damaged structure of her building perched next to a still swollen river. At times breaking down in tears, the 65-year-old said several of the restaurant's refrigerators were washed away by the flood. Across South Korea, rain damage had been reported to 1,999 public structures and 2,238 private facilities, including farms, the interior ministry said. While the rain has eased, the national weather agency has now issued a nationwide heatwave watch. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has ordered a thorough response to the disaster, his office said. "As local heavy rains have become commonplace, customised measures based on regional characteristics are urgently needed," said Kang Yu-jung, the spokesperson for Lee's office. "If serious laxity or mistakes are found in civil servants' discipline, we will hold them accountable and thorough measures will be taken to prevent a recurrence." Lee, who took office in June, has promised to make the country safer and to prevent any repeat of the disasters in recent years that have often been blamed on the inadequate response by authorities.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
The areas set for half a month's worth of rainfall in less than a day
The Met Office issued amber-level rain warnings for the eastern counties of Northern Ireland, including Antrim, Armagh, and Down, from Sunday evening into Monday morning. Northern Ireland is forecast to receive 50 to 75mm of rain within 12 to 18 hours, which is over half of the region's average July rainfall. The heavy rainfall poses risks of flooding, power cuts, dangerous driving conditions, and the potential for some communities to be cut off by flooded roads. A wider yellow weather warning for rain remains in place across Northern Ireland, with similar thunderstorm warnings affecting parts of Wales, South-West England, Scotland, and other areas of England. Disruption to the Monday morning commute is expected, and residents are advised to check flood risks and take precautions to protect their properties.
