Author Topic: Poison cloud at Birling Gap, Sussex  (Read 1901 times)

Oldtramp

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Poison cloud at Birling Gap, Sussex
« on: 11:36:44, 28/08/17 »
On Sunday 27th Aug, around 5 PM some strange toxic cloud rolled off the sea into Birling Gap, between Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. 


Eyes watered and a few folk were hospitalised.  All very strange.


https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/aug/27/birling-gap-evacuated-after-chemical-incident-on-east-sussex-coast


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/27/birling-gap-beauty-spot-evacuated-chlorine-gas-leak-causes-breathing/


What's even stranger is how, in the Guardian's article (and the photo at the end of the Telegraph's) this cloud is conflated with perfectly harmless sea mist that was in the area in the morning.  I'm sure that this was innocuous, for I took a visiting relative thru' Eastbourne, where you couldn't see 200 yards out to sea at 1030 in the morning.  Going up Beachy we came above this mist, which thinned anyway, though with odd tendrils left playing round the lighthouse and cliff bases at 11.15.  By early afternoon it was all gone. 


Whatever came at 5 PM was surely unconnected.  As to what it was, I've no idea, for we'd reached a Seaford by then and were struggling with Southern Railway's cancellations.


You can tell that the Telegraph's picture, of the lighthouse, at the end of the article, is the morning mist, not the 'poison cloud', for the tide is clearly out, as it was in the morning, with the lighthouse base exposed. High water was 1515, approx and the base would have been covered at 1700.  Likewise you can see more beach on the Guardian's photos that would have been exposed 1.75h after high water.


 In fairness, the photo captions do say 'haze' or 'mist' but the reader is easily fooled into supposing that these were the poison cloud....
« Last Edit: 20:29:05, 28/08/17 by Oldtramp »

Dovegirl

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Re: Poison cloud at Birling Gap, Sussex
« Reply #1 on: 20:16:54, 28/08/17 »
I walked from Seaford to Cuckmere Haven and back yesterday and saw the haze over the Seven Sisters. I thought it was just a mist, and it wasn't until I got home and saw the News that I heard what had happened.

As to what it was, I've no idea, for we'd reached a Seaford by then and were struggling with Southern Railway's cancellations.

The train I was hoping to get from Seaford back to Brighton was cancelled so I had a wait for the next one.


Oldtramp

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Re: Poison cloud at Birling Gap, Sussex
« Reply #2 on: 20:34:43, 28/08/17 »
Indeed----- reached Seaford at 1615, to find that the 1627 was cancelled, so went to the pub, returning to the station in time for the 1657, which was also cancelled.  So we walked up the road to the bus stop, thinking to go to Brighton and catch the London train from there instead of connecting at Lewes. 


After 10 minutes a bus with 'Rail Replacement' shot past and we ran back to the station, were promised it was going to Lewes, and hopped on board.  It then progressed erratically, stopping on the wrong side of the river for Southease, half a mile distant (heaven help anyone waiting there) but giving the visiting cousin a nice view of Anne of Cleeves' House as we bounced thru' Lewes.


My last view of the Seven Sisters would be from Seaford Head at around 1500/1515.  Perfectly clear then.
« Last Edit: 21:39:41, 28/08/17 by Oldtramp »

Dovegirl

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Re: Poison cloud at Birling Gap, Sussex
« Reply #3 on: 21:29:32, 28/08/17 »
I got back to Seaford later than you.  I imagine Southease Station is well used by walkers as it's directly on the South Downs Way.

 

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