European storm turns deadly and threatens worst tidal surge in decades

[DonViejo]

Source: Raw Story/Agence France-Presse



By Agence France-Presse
Friday, December 6, 2013 7:46 EST

A fierce storm battered northern Europe with hurricane force winds Thursday, leaving five people dead or missing, disrupting travel and forcing thousands to flee their homes over fears of the worst tidal surge in decades.

British authorities evacuated 15,000 homes as flooding started on the North Sea coast while Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden all boosted their flood defenses.

Winds of up to 142 miles per hour were recorded in Scotland and Britain’s environment agency said the “surge along the east coast of England is expected to be the worst for more than 60 years.”

John Curtin, the Environment Agency’s head of incident management, said: “Flooding of coastal communities along the eastern and north west coasts is expected into Friday. Some defences could be overtopped by the combined effect of high tides, high winds and a large tidal surge.”

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/06/european-storm-turns-deadly-and-threatens-worst-tidal-surge-in-decades/

[Botany]

1. Once again storms like this might very well be from climate change

n/t

[dipsydoodle]

3. Oh really.

Please do explain how climate change has any bearing on the probability of a low pressure area off the NE of Scotland coinciding with a spring tide. The effect of climate change on the moon which affects tides might be good place to start.

The above was the exact precise reason for yesterdays events which last occured big time in 1953.

One of the things which can give climate change a credibility problem is attributing every single weather condition to it without foundation.

[Botany]

4. I said might .... I did not say it is because of climate change.

Many storms and weather patterns all of the world in many cases are fueled to some degree because of the
change in regional planetary systems from global climate change.

The high pressure system that has been present in the N. Atlantic @ times helped to make hurricane Sandy
even worse and moved the jet stream last spring and that gave us spring snows in the east and much
colder then expected temperatures.

[dipsydoodle]

5. I was bit OTT there.

Apologies.

I've left it only by way of explanation.

[olddad56]

7. yesh, these severe storms all over the world are all just a coincidence.

[Celefin]

2. Danish meteorological office confirms '100-year tidal surge'

The main reason for the extreme tidal surge along both east and west coast of Denmark is the long duration of the storm and its timing. Also, shifting wind directions form southwest to northwest helped piling up a lot of water in the north sea and into the baltic sea. All major cities on Denmark's west coast are urging residents in low-lying areas to evacuate.
Highest surge on the west coast was close to 3m over normal, leaving fishing vessels on the tarmac and sinking s few yachts that were moored to tightly.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Varies according to the depth of the North Sea - shollower further south.

Highest storm surge I've heard here in the UK from yesterday was 5.3 metres in Hunstanton Norfolk.. Expected to be high tonight too - high tide is c.8pm GMT.

Stay safe.