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Freak weather and the port

Introduction
Floods and the Thames
The Thames Barrier
The Thames frost fairs
The big freeze of 1895
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Introduction

Tilbury floods.
View full size imageTilbury during the floods of 1953. © NMM
London and its port owe their existence to the Thames, so any freak weather affecting the river could have serious consequences. Two types of weather in particular have left their mark on London – frost and floods.

In previous centuries, the port ground to a halt when the Thames froze over, though many Londoners enjoyed the ‘frost fairs’ that followed.

In modern times, floods have become a major threat, leading to the construction of the Thames Barrier, one of London’s best-known modern landmarks.

 

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