STORM SURGES IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

Merged with duplicate records 10026.2/1901 and 10026.1/1086 on 01.02.2017 by CS (TIS)Observed hourly heights of sea level have been collected for various ports in the English Channel (both on the British and French coasts) during the period Jan 1964 to Jan 1975. This data has been successfully scanned for blunders, and gaps have been filled with suitable interpolations. A computing technique has been developed for the treatment of data of this kind in the detection of storm surges. Surges have been identified and are found to propagate in both west-east and east-west directions of the Channel. Statistics of both types have been compiled. The effect of North Sea surges penetrating the Strait of Dover has been investigated. Meteorological conditions conducive to major positive surge activity in the Channel have been identified. The separate effects of the wind and pressure contributions to the surges are discussed. Negative Channel surges (as distinct from those propagating from the North Sea) were found to be small and were rarely less than -0.4m at any British Channel port