Why did River Severn flood so badly in 1947?
Between September 1946 and mid January 1947 rain fell on most days in the areas surrounding the Severn. Then the temperatures dropped below zero and the ground became frozen. Between the middle of January and March one metre of snow fell in the same areas that had also seen all the rain and freezing temperatures. When the thaw and warmer weather came in March, the River Severn simply burst its banks.
