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Highest storm surge for decades

MET OFFICE News Release issued by The Government News Network on 9 November 2007

Accurate and consistent forecasts from the Met Office helped the Environment Agency and emergency services take decisive action, after England's east coast experience one of the highest storm surges and tides for several decades.

Meanwhile, studies of climate change at the Met Office Hadley Centre suggest that in the future the height of coastal floods is likely to increase, potentially causing more damage.

The East Anglian coast borne the brunt of the flooding, with some rivers and the broads also effected. In Lowestoft, Suffolk, the surged peaked at 2.1 metres between 3 and 4am, 0.7 metres above the alert level for the town. In Sheerness, Kent, the surge peaked at 2.4 metres between 7 and 8am.

The storm surge was one of the highest since the 1953 east coast floods, which claimed hundreds of lives. It was fortunate that the recent surge did not coincide with high tide times.

The Table shows a comparison of Surge recorded in 1953, 1983 and 2007 along with the maximum recorded height of tide for each of the above ports. The column on the far right shows the highest recorded surge that the Met Office has on record.

Port      1953   1953    1983   1983    2007    2007     Highest
                Max    Highest Max    Highest Max     Highest  recorded
                Surge  Water   Surge  Water   Surge   Water    Surge
                       OD(N)          OD(N)           OD(N)
      Immingham 1.98m  4.51m   1.53m  4.64m   1.65m   3.99m    2.43m
                                                               (1989)
      Lowestoft 2.74m  3.35m   1.84m  2.82m   2.13m   2.63m    2.74m
                                                               (1953)
      Sheerness 2.74m  4.69m   2.27m  3.90m   2.39m   3.46m    3.50m
                                                               (1921) 

*OD (N) is defined as the Mean Sea Level at Newlyn in Cornwall

Information on how North Sea storm surges occur can be found at:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/flood.html#surges

More on Storm Tides Forecasting Service including the annual reports:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/publicsector/emarc/stfs.html

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The Met Office is the UK's National Weather Service, providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather, climate and environmental forecasts and severe weather warnings for the protection of life and property.