Apocalypse Britain: Terrifying Imagined images show Parliament wrecked by flooding and Edinburgh Castle hit by swarm of tornadoes
- Poll for TV channel Yesterday revealed that one in five Britons live in fear they will lose everything in a natural disaster
- Also found that half of Britons are scared their homes could be wrecked by rising water if there was a flood
- 38% are scared of extremely cold weather for fear their loved ones would freeze to death
ore than one in five Britons live in fear they will lose everything in a natural disaster - seen here in five stunning images of what could happen if the UK was hit by extreme forces of nature.
A poll of 2,000 people for the UK Natural Disaster Report - put together by TV channel Yesterday - found that 21 per cent were worried their lives would be devastated by some form of natural disaster.
The report, released to coincide with the premiere of Yesterday's show Perfect Storms: Disasters that change the World, asked the 2,000 people to rate the events they were 'most worried about'.
More than one in five Britons live in fear they will lose everything in a natural disaster. The image shows how the Houses of Parliament might look if there was a catastrophic flood in London
The poll compiled a list of the top 10 natural disasters people worried about, with flooding coming top, with 52 per cent saying they were scared their homes could be wrecked by rising water.
In second place was severe cold, with 38 per cent saying they were concerned about their loved ones perishing in freezing weather.
In third place were earthquakes - which although rare in the UK, notched up 21 per cent of the vote.
To accompany the poll, the channel released five images showing stunning 'disaster scenarios' which could occur in the UK, including the Houses of Parliament ravaged by a flood, and Edinburgh Castle hit by a tornado.
Other images include the Angel of the North after an earthquake, Trafalgar Square frozen over, and a meteor shower hitting London Embankment.
The Top 10 list was analysed by Dr Bruce Malamud, a professor of Natural and Environmental Hazards at King's College London, who assessed the risks using data from the Government's recent National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies (NRR report).
Some 52 per cent of people say they are scared their homes could be wrecked by rising water if there was a flood. Image shows what Trafalgar Square might look like if Britain was suddenly plunged into an ice age
The NNR report states that the 'highest priority risks' are pandemic influenza, flooding, terrorist attacks and gas-rich volcanic eruptions from abroad, such as the 2010 eruption in Iceland which affected the UK.
Other risks, categorised as 'newly assessed risks' include wildfires, infectious diseases, severe space weather such as radiation storms, severe weather and droughts.
The poll for Yesterday found that 21 per cent of people believe they would be affected by a natural disaster in their lifetime - with just four per cent worried they would be affected by war or military action and 21 per cent also worried of total economic collapse in the UK.
The government considers the 'highest priority risks' to the British public to be pandemic influenza, flooding, terrorist attacks and gas-rich volcanic eruptions from abroad. Image shows how London might look during a meteorite shower
Some 21 per cent of Britons believe that they will experience a natural disaster during their lifetime. Image shows how Edinburgh Castle might look during a tornado. There are an average of 30 tornadoes a year in the UK but they tend to be quite weak
Professor Malamud said: ‘In my opinion, public education about our environment is very important, so people have a good awareness of the threat posed by natural hazards.
‘Increasing population, climate change, movement of people from rural to urban areas and an ageing population are all contributing to the potential increased severity and frequency of natural disasters in certain places around the world.’
The show, Perfect Storms: Disasters That Change The World, will explore the biggest and most significant natural disasters of all time, especially those which have shaped the course of history.
It will and air tonight at 9pm on Yesterday.
WHAT ARE THE TEN NATURAL DISASTERS THAT SCARE BRITONS THE MOST?
1. Flooding - 52 per cent of Britons fear their house could be destroyed in a flood. Experts say that there is only a medium likelihood of it happening
2. Severe cold - 38 per cent of Britons are worried about severe cold. Experts say that severe cold is the most likely natural disaster to hit the UK
3. Earthquakes - 21 per cent of Britons worry about earthquakes. Experts say there is a very low likelihood of a damaging earthquake hitting the UK
4. Droughts - 21 per cent of Britons worry the UK could run out of water. The Government's NNR Report lists droughts as being of medium likelihood
5. Asteroid showers - 20 per cent of Britons worry about meteorite and asteroid showers. They are listed as being a very unlikely danger to the UK
6. Heat wave - 17 per cent of Britons fear the UK will be hit by a dangerous heat wave. Experts believe heat waves are a 'genuine concern'
7. Tsunamis - 15 per cent of Britons worry that the UK could be hit by a killer wave. Experts say the risk of low
8. Landslides - 12 per cent of the UK population worry about landslides. They pose a localised threat, with a medium-high likelihood, but low impact
9. Tornadoes - 11 per cent of people worry about tornadoes.There are an average of 30 tornadoes in the UK each year but they tend to be weak
10. Volcanic eruptions - seven per cent of Britons worry about the impact of volcanoes. Experts say the danger rating of volcanic eruptions should be on the same level as flooding and drought. Volcanoes are listed as having a medium likelihood with a medium-high impact
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