Nature: Natural Disasters 3

– “The Great Storm” of 1987, United Kingdom –

“The Great Storm of 1987, an extratropical cyclone, was an unprecedented meteorological event that battered the south coast of England. On the night of 15th-16th October, violent winds reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour caused extensive damage across the region.

The storm, which was not predicted by weather forecasts, took the population by surprise, wreaking havoc on infrastructure and natural habitats. Over 15 million trees were uprooted, and the resultant deforestation drastically altered the landscape, causing long-lasting ecological implications.

The event also triggered widespread power outages, leaving millions without electricity for more than two weeks. Furthermore, it disrupted transportation networks, causing delays and cancellations across the country’s rail and air services.

The Great Storm served as a wake-up call for meteorologists and led to significant changes in weather prediction models. It underscored the necessity for more accurate and advanced forecasting techniques to better prepare for such calamitous events in the future.”

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO words from the text for each answer.

The Great Storm of 1987 was an extratropical __________ 1, which severely affected the south coast of England.
The winds during the storm reached speeds of over __________ 2 miles per hour.
The unexpected storm caused widespread damage to __________ 3 and natural habitats.
As a result of the storm, over 15 million trees were __________ 4, leading to significant changes in the landscape.
The aftermath of the storm caused power __________ 5, leaving millions without electricity for weeks.
The Great Storm underscored the need for more __________ 6 weather forecasting techniques.

Choose NO MORE THAN ONE word from the text for each answer.

The notorious 1987 extratropical __________ 1 was an exceptional event that devastated England’s southern coastline. The violent __________ 2, exceeding 100 miles per hour, wreaked extensive damage, surprising the unprepared populace. This extreme weather event led to the __________ 3 of over 15 million trees, significantly altering the natural environment. The resulting aftermath included power __________ 4 affecting millions and widespread disruptions in transportation networks. The 1987 storm’s implications highlighted the urgent need for advanced and precise weather __________ 5 models to better equip societies for future natural disasters.

Vocabulary Builder

Find the synonyms (words with the same or similar meaning) to these 9 words from the original passage.

Original word	Variants used
Unprecedented	__________________
Battered	__________________
Havoc	_____________ / _____________
Drastically	__________________
Implications	__________________
Outages	__________________
Disrupted	_____________ / _____________
Underscored	__________________
Calamitous	_____________ / _____________

Reveal answer (7 More Words)

Original word	Variants used
Unprecedented	Exceptional
Battered	Devastated
Havoc	Damage, devastation
Drastically	Significantly
Implications	Consequences
Outages	Interruptions
Disrupted	Wreaked, caused disruptions
Underscored	Highlighted
Calamitous	Disastrous, extreme