Storm Surge, 1953
"What is a storm surge?
A storm surge is possibly one of the most dramatic weather events for the east coast. These are caused when deep depressions track east from the Atlantic, passing close to the north of Scotland. As the depressions move across the ocean the lower pressure ccauses the sea level to rise - for each 1 hPa drop in pressure sea levels rise by up to 1cm - and the winds push the surface waters of the sea forward, a motion known as 'wind drift'.
On reaching the relatively shallow North Sea this water is forced southwards, eventually causing a pile up of water in the south. This is because the water cannot escape through the narrow Dover Strait and the English Channel and so gets trapped in the southern North Sea. The effect is enhanced by the strong northerly winds experienced on the rear flank of the depression as it continues eastwards"
Met Office website
Storm Event - 31st January 1953 - The worst national peacetime disaster to hit the UK
