Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Thames

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Today we’re marking 70 years since the one of the biggest natural disasters in recent UK history. The #Thames Estuary was one of the places worst hit.
This is a story of tragedy and devastation, but it led to changes that make millions of us safer today. A short thread 🧵 (1/11) At Erith, water rushes over a damaged flood wall at during t
On the night of 31 Jan 1953, as people slept, 3 things led to catastrophe:
1) low pressure pulled water from the Atlantic making a bulge in the North Sea;
2) winds from the NW blew the bulge of water south;
3) it was around full moon, when tides are strongest. (2/11) Map showing estimated height of surge in the North Sea. It i
Disaster struck as the bulge of water reached the coast. Sea walls were breached in over 1000 places, causing widespread flooding from Yorkshire to Kent. The #ThamesEstuary was badly hit. #Canvey Island and parts of north Kent were inundated. (3/11) A map of the east coast of England produced after the floods
Read 11 tweets
#Hydronomastics is the study of #hydronyms, the proper names of bodies of water.

It's a branch of #toponomastics, the study of #toponyms (the proper names of places), which in turn is a branch of #onomastics, the study of #orthonyms (proper names).

French / Luxembourghish sign: The River Sauer in Martelan...
#Hydronym and #hydronomastics both derive from Ancient #Greek ὕδωρ / húdōr (water) + ὄνομα / ónoma (name). The Greek island of Skiatho...
#Hydronyms tend to outlast other #toponyms, even when new #languages and cultures displace earlier ones.

#England, #EastAnglia, #Essex, and #Sussex are named for the #Angles and #Saxons; but #Trent, #Ouse, #Thames, #Severn, and #Avon are older #Celtic and #RomanoBritish names. A map showing the main rive...
Read 173 tweets
⚠️ Due to a forecast high tide, the #ThamesBarrier will be closing today.

Gates are expected to start moving to the closed position from around 10.30, and it should be fully open again by 16.00.

This will be the 187th closure to protect #London from tidal flooding.
When the Barrier closes, we effectively create a half full reservoir between Teddington and Woolwich.

As the Thames gets much wider and deeper through #London, it doesn’t build up particularly quickly so no flood risk.

⚠️ As the #ThamesBarrier is closing this morning for a high tide, we are also operating the Barking Barrier today, protecting properties along the tidal section of the River Roding.

There may be further closures later this week.

Updates to follow when I’m back on duty tonight.
Read 4 tweets
⚠️ This deep low will create strong winds on Sunday, but also a storm surge, which will travel down the North Sea coast overnight and into Monday.

We're monitoring this carefully, and are putting plans in place to close the #ThamesBarrier on Monday morning if required.
For any licenced mudlarks on the #Thames, there's a particularly low low tide tomorrow, as #StormCiara is effectively sucking the sea water away from us, with a negative surge of around a metre.

L/W at North Woolwich - 09.30
L/W at @TowerBridge - 10.30

But be very careful!
An unusually low low tide at the #ThamesBarrier this morning. #StormCaira is effectively sucking water away from the #Thames Estuary today.

But we’ll have to see the consequences tomorrow, with a very high tide forecast.

We’re making plans to close the Barrier should we need to
Read 3 tweets
Been watching season 3 of #TheCrown?
Despite 2000 years of stone construction, #London has no indigenous building stone. Its geology is sand, gravel and clay. Stone has been imported since #Roman times along the #RiverThames to build that amazing city.
#nspoli #NovaScotia #mining Image
To build #Londinium (starting in 47 AD), Romans imported stone from many places in #England and from as far away as #Egypt, #Greece and #Italy. Part of the Roman defensive wall is still visible and many buildings have been uncovered (amphitheatre, forum, bath houses, etc)
#nspoli Image
Medieval #London had narrow streets and timber-framed, thatch houses so the #GreatFireofLondon destroyed much of it in 1666. Legislation afterward required stone or brick construction to prevent future fires. #Halifax NS passed a similar bylaw in 1857 after several fires.
#nspoli Image
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Prompted by an @IlluminatedRiv post (& a couple of days of #Thames related news), found myself looking last night at #FrostFair pictures. This first from 1677 (source: @MuseumofLondon) below #LondonBridge & frankly a bit hairy in places - look at the people leaving at the stairs
Here’s another picture by the same artist, this time from 1684 showing stalls set up on the ice (funnily enough in about the location proposed for the ill-fated #GardenBridge)
What’s really striking about both of these late 17th century images is the depth to which the river has frozen - how COLD must it have been?? The view below is by Thomas Wyke, again from the winter of 1683-4.
Read 4 tweets
Dear @BBCR4Feedback
Tomorrow I will post a package of #StopBrexit paraphernalia to you
The materials are used by the Remain campaign & have been crowdfunded
I will also post prints of photos from the last 21 months (see thread below) so you can see what you haven't been covering
1/It has taken me several hours to compile nearly 2 years of photos from the #Remain campaign into this 22 page document, however i felt it necessary to do so in order to illustrate to the #BBC the extent and commitment of our campaign which you haven't been acknowledging.
2/July 2016 #StopBrexit march in #London
Read 25 tweets

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