A nuclear blast map has revealed the catastrophic damage that would be inflicted on the UK's 10 biggest cities if Russia were to launch a nuclear strike. The tool, called Nuke Map, was created by Alex Wellerstein, a science and nuclear weapons professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology, and is hosted on the website NuclearSecrecy.com.
The map simulates the effects of various nuclear weapons, including the Topol SS-25, an 800 kiloton warhead currently in Russia's arsenal. If dropped on Westminster in Central London, the damage would be predictably catastrophic, according to the simulation.
Threat of Russian attack
The renewed focus on nuclear devastation comes amid fresh threats of an attack on key infrastructure or security in the UK from Russia. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been warned that the UK faces an “inevitable” Russian attack over its unfaltering support for Ukraine.
Security chiefs were placed on high alert on Tuesday for a potential strike from the Kremlin, targeting either the PM directly or key military sites, following Mr Burnham's visit to Kyiv and his backing for deeper military co-operation with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Impact zones explained
The Nuke Map explains what happens in each of the four zones in each city. For the impact area in the orange zone, the map states: “Maximum size of the nuclear fireball; relevance to damage on the ground depends on the height of detonation. If it touches the ground, the amount of radioactive fallout is significantly increased. Anything inside the fireball is effectively vapourised.”
The next zone, seen on a map of Liverpool, is the 'moderate blast damage radius'. This would collapse buildings and start fires. The map states: “At 5 psi overpressure, most residential buildings collapse, injuries are universal, fatalities are widespread. The chances of a fire starting in commercial [buildings] and residential damage are high, and buildings so damaged are at high risk of spreading fire.”
The third zone, further from the point of impact, shown on a map of Edinburgh in yellow, would fare little better. The map states: “Third degree burns extend throughout the layers of skin, and are often painless because they destroy the pain nerves. They can cause severe scarring or disablement, and can require amputation.”
Much like pandemic planning, every major western government does have contingencies in place for dealing with nuclear strikes on major cities, with the UK being no exception. When Russia invaded Ukraine, many analysts feared it could be the first major step on the path to World War Three when war broke out on European soil once more.
