Have you ever wondered what would happen if Ledbury were hit with nuclear weapons?

Even if you haven’t, you’re probably at least a little curious now.

Luckily for us, a clever online tool from outrider.org shows us exactly what would happen should a 300 kiloton nuclear warhead be dropped on the town centre.

The simulation shows that the initial fireball would cover an area of 0.73 square miles (almost two kilometres). This fireball burns 10,000 hotter than the surface of the sun and anything - or anyone - this close to the blast would be vaporised in an instant.

The fireball forms immediately from the burning bomb residue and emits an enormous amount of energy in the form of x-rays, light and heat, expanding as it cools.

Soon after, the nuclear materials in the bomb emit a burst of radiation in the form of gamma rays and neutrons

Anyone within a radius of 5.5sq miles - an area that would encompass the whole of Ledbury - would absorb about 500 rem of radiation, a potent dose 800 times greater than the average annual exposure for people in the US.

According to Outrider: "Of those who survive the heat and the shockwave, 50 to 90 percent will die a painful death from radiation poisoning within a few hours to a few weeks."

Expanding outwards from the fireball and radiation wave, there would be a shockwave. This would stretch more than 11sq miles, reaching as far as Eastnor, Clencher’s Mill Wood and Wellington Heath.

Within this radius, the pressure of the shock wave is strong enough to destroy most buildings unless they are reinforced. Hurricane-force winds add to the destruction.

The human body can survive big jumps in air pressure and high winds, but collapsing structures and wind-blown debris present significant dangers.

Ledbury Reporter:

Finally, the heat from the explosion would be felt up to 48.5sq miles away - an area that includes Little Marcle, Coddington, Colwall, Hollybush, Bromesberrow Heath and Donnington.

The intense heat would cause catastrophic damage with wood, clothing, paper and plastics catching fire. Anyone within this radius would suffer severe third-degree burns.

Outrider predicts a total of 4,543 fatalities for a nuclear attack on Ledbury, with a further 3,472 injured.

"What Happens in a Bomb Blast?" is based on NUKEMAP created by Alex Wellerstein, a historian of nuclear weapons and an assistant professor of science and technology studies at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Data on blast size calculations and associated casualties is provided by Wellerstein's application.