The impact of Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin February 2022

Between 18th & 21st February 2022 the UK was hit by three storms. A high level of media coverage was given to Eunice & Dudley while Franklin had a greater impact locally.  This photo was taken just as Eunice was whipping up some real energy - not at my wood but a neighbouring valley (Longsleddale). 

There is a useful blog from the Met Office (link below) which shows that Franklin gave a more sustained level of very high speed gusts than the other two storms, although the data was collected off the South Coast of the UK. Eunice showed faster gusts setting a new record for the UK of 122mph at The Needles but for a less sustained period than Franklin.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2022/2022_02_storms_dudley_eunice_franklin.pdf

Storm damage was experienced at Bel’s Wood during Storm Arwen. That was highly unusual with the wind coming from the north. Some well established trees fell and from looking at the roots it can been seen that the roots of these trees were shallow on the north side. The prevailing wind in Cumbria is from the South West so the trees are usually pressed onto these rocky elements and stand firm. A strong gust from the north pushed them over including this well established rowan:-

The root plate below was sitting on solid rock to the northward side so a wind from that direction blew it over. The prevailing southwesterly winds have pressed the tree into the root plate supported by the rock.

Eunice, Dudley and Franklin came in from the south west which is well illustrated by this screenshot from the Windy App which I find useful for planning purposes when heading out into the fells https://www.windy.com/?54.325,-2.744,5

I visited the wood after Dudley & Eunice and didn’t notice any new damage. However a week after Franklin I notice quite a few mature trees down. Maybe Dudley & Eunice loosened them up and Franklin finished them off. The wood is quite well protected from these prevailing winds with the valley running on a north south axis and there are hills the other side of the valley. 

Looking due west

I took the video below looking out across Morcambe Bay around lunch time on 21st February 2022 when Franklin was really getting going; at the wood an hour later it was still calm. 

The graph above (from the Met Office blog) shows Franklin peaking at 6pm in the evening on the south coast and it really got going overnight here in Cumbria.

Well here is the result - another oak has fallen. This one is the same size as the one lost to Arwen. 

There are roots still in the ground and he might survive.

Sue kindly giving some sense of the size of this tree which I estimate to be about 80 years old so must have seen many storms before. The direction of the fall is towards the southeast which suggests a gust from the north west which isn't what the records show but I assume wind swirls when it is this strong and stuck in a valley.

While sorry to see this lovely tree fall I can see how the newly exposed roots will create new habitats and promote biodiversity and it may be that the tree will continue to thrive.

This holly has been ripped out of the ground. This could be a consequence of removing the gorse which had previously surrounded this tree. And is to be expected.

This silver birch is another victim of Franklin and has fallen towards the south so there was a northerly element again.

Whether there is enough a tap root for the tree to survive only time will tell. I don't think I have communicated the scale of this one well - the height of that broken root is over 2m from the soil to the crack in the right hand picture.

This seems a good time to inspect the trees that fell in Storm Arwen in November 2021 to see if they are surviving. This large willow came down in Arwen and it is pleasing to see the pussy willow appearing.

November '21 post Storm Arwen

 

February 2022

Another tree had lost some top branches in Arwen. The recent storms has brought more down. On closer examination I can see that the tree has been dead for a while. I have called this the fungus tree in my mind and I now see how the process is playing out. 

Summer 2021

February 2022

This process of death and renewal is essential for all woodlands and I was aware that it was taking place but the pace is surprising me. So much to learn.

I picked up a bit of activity on the camera traps recently too so have included those. I assume the animals all hunker down during the storm and learn to adapt to the different routes they need to find as the landscape changes.

I have also inspected my handiwork trying to hold water up on the site. So far no flooding this winter so it may be working. I have added branches to areas on the beck where there is room for water to flood surrounding areas.

The boggy area on the right is new - this was previously dry and will be holding more water.

        

And finally just to tell the story of February I saw my first bumblebee on 21st February 2021 which does seam early. Although it would be logical for this to be an early bumblebee it has a white bottom and not an orange one so it is another breed. I only had my iPhone on me and so these are not the best pics but it is good to have them as a record anyway. I have been told that bumblebees like to drink from moss and lichen as the water has more minerals and this may be what I was seeing in Cecil B the sessile oak. Also the queen may have come out of hibernation to drink and returned ie she wasn't emerging to find a new nest and start the season off fully. I have seen more bumblebees since then about a week after this first sighting.