As global tensions rise, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the UK will be under threat of a nuclear attack and it’s important to understand the impact
There has been a recent development regarding the potential threat of a nuclear attack on the UK.
Lakenheath, an RAF base in Suffolk, England, managed by the USA, is likely to soon house US/NATO nuclear weapons. This move significantly increases the risk for the UK, placing us at the forefront of any potential conflict between the US and Russia, as global tensions escalate.
The decision to store US nuclear weapons on English soil amplifies the country’s vulnerability to a nuclear strike. If war were to erupt, it’s plausible that Lakenheath would be targeted before further strikes are executed across the nation.
While it’s widely acknowledged a nuclear war between the US or NATO and Russia would have devastating consequences for everyone, it’s crucial to comprehend the direct impact it could have on towns and cities throughout the UK.
As stated by CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament): “A single nuclear strike on any town or city would be catastrophic for the local community and environment, and the radioactive impact would spread much further.”
“But a nuclear war would be catastrophic for all humanity, forms of life, and the entire planet. Yet the possibility of nuclear war is the greatest for many decades.”
Casualties
Their report reveals if a single Russian warhead, such as an SS-25 or SS-27, were to be dropped in the heart of London, nearly a million people would perish. Similarly, if one were to strike Glasgow, there would likely be 326,000 casualties, and in Cardiff, 196,000 individuals would lose their lives.
The epicentre of the nuclear explosion, should it detonate, is believed to reach a staggering temperature of several million degrees centigrade. Consequently, a heat flash would vaporise all human tissue within an area of 1.5 square miles.
Back in 1945, when the United States unleashed two atomic bombs over Hiroshima in Japan, all that was left within a radius of half a mile were people’s shadows seared into stone. The aerial bombings claimed the lives of up to 200,000 people, most of whom were civilians.
It’s believed anyone in buildings up to four miles away from the explosion would be killed by both the blast and the impact of the heat on the buildings, which would ignite into flames. Moreover, individual fires would start to erupt creating a firestorm as all of the area’s oxygen would be consumed.
When this happens, air is drawn in from the outskirts at ground level. This would result in hurricane-force winds of intense fire and individuals seeking refuge underground, while they may have survived the initial blast, would perish due to oxygen deprivation. The report indicates that the immediate death rate in this area would exceed 90%.
Beyond the immediate vicinity
Moving away from the zone facing immediate destruction, there would be a gradual increase in fatalities among those who survived the initial explosion. Approximately seven miles from the blast site, people would suffer fatal burns or need amputations, while others would be blinded or sustain internal injuries.
Unlike a typical disaster, the mortality rate would be alarmingly high as the majority of emergency services would be unable to respond with their own staff killed and equipment destroyed. The vast number of casualties would simply overwhelm the UK’s medical resources, as individuals up to 11 miles away could even sustain injuries from shattered windows or structural damage.
The long-lasting effects
In the following days, even those fortunate enough to survive would now be impacted by the radioactive fallout, with most dying within a week. This would manifest in various ways, from hair loss to bleeding gums, fever, vomiting, delirium and even internal bleeding.
Those with lower levels of exposure would still face complications, such as pregnant women, who are at a high risk of miscarriage and birth complications. Additionally, long-term effects could include radiation-induced cancers affecting many civilians, up to twenty years after the event.
It’s believed that those exposed to radiation’s children are statistically more likely to be born with abnormalities and suffer from leukaemia.
Aside from public health, nuclear weapons are known to cause severe damage to the environment and the climate on a scale that is incomparable to any other weapon. As a result of nuclear war, predictions suggest that two billion people would risk starvation due to the disruption to the climate and its impact on food production.
