The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Barrier" id="mwATk" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Thames Barrier">Thames Barrier</a> is officially opened, preventing the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floodplain" id="mwATo" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Floodplain">floodplain</a> of most of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_London" id="mwATs" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Greater London">Greater London</a> from being flooded except under extreme circumstances.<sup about="#mwt87" class="mw-ref reference" data-mw='{"name":"ref","attrs":{},"body":{"id":"mw-reference-text-cite_note-15"}}' id="cite_ref-15" rel="dc:references" typeof="mw:Extension/ref"><a href="./May_8#cite_note-15" id="mwATw" style="counter-reset: mw-Ref 15;"><span class="mw-reflink-text" id="mwAT0">[15]</span></a></sup>
<span class="mw-reference-text" id="mw-reference-text-cite_note-15"><cite about="#mwt84" class="citation news cs1" id="CITEREFBooth1984">Booth, Cathy (8 May 1984). <a class="external text" href="https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/05/08/Queen-dedicates-Thames-Barrier-to-save-London-from-floods/7766452836800/" id="mwBxc" rel="mw:ExtLink nofollow">"Queen dedicates Thames Barrier to save London from floods"</a>. <i id="mwBxg">UPI</i><span class="reference-accessdate" id="mwBxk">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap" id="mwBxo">8 May</span> 2019</span>.</cite><span about="#mwt84" class="Z3988" id="mwBxs" title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&amp;rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&amp;rft.genre=article&amp;rft.jtitle=UPI&amp;rft.atitle=Queen+dedicates+Thames+Barrier+to+save+London+from+floods&amp;rft.date=1984-05-08&amp;rft.aulast=Booth&amp;rft.aufirst=Cathy&amp;rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.upi.com%2FArchives%2F1984%2F05%2F08%2FQueen-dedicates-Thames-Barrier-to-save-London-from-floods%2F7766452836800%2F&amp;rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMay+8"></span></span>