Almost 2m of surge predicted early 22 December

[MikeBz]

LW Felixstowe is 00:28 on the 22nd so the HW circle shown at about 03:30 doesn’t look right.

 

[Plum]

View attachment 169431

LW Felixstowe is 00:28 on the 22nd so the HW circle shown at about 03:30 doesn’t look right.

Surges do not always coincide with high water.

 

[MikeBz]

Um, well yes obviously. The surge predictor puts circles on for the times of astronomically predicted HW, but in this case it’s got them at the wrong time. So no need to panic, at least not in our neck of the woods.

 

[Leighb]

My Tides app shows LW at 00-50 and HW at 07-10 so something is out on the surge chart. HW is predicted to be 3.7m + say 1.3m at HW gives a pretty big tide.
I expect they will be shutting our tide gate here at Woodbridge, maybe tomorrow?

 

[LittleSister]

Um, well yes obviously. The surge predictor puts circles on for the times of astronomically predicted HW, but in this case it’s got them at the wrong time. So no need to panic, at least not in our neck of the woods.

I note it doesn't actually say the circles are 'astronomical high water', but rather 'Dark grey circles indicate high water times (plotted for EACH current residual forecast)'.

I suspect this means that the times circled are the time of the predicted highest water after combining the forecast surge and the predicted astronomical tide.

There would be no need to plot them for each surge forecast otherwise. Also a line would be more appropriate for the 'fixed' astronomical HW than a series of different circles. If my guess is correct the circles would have more noticeably different times if the successive surge predictions shown were very different heights.

I note the times of the circles on the 22nd have changed in the 5 or so hour since your original post (presumably as a result of changes in the updated succession of surge forecasts' plots shown).

 

[MikeBz]

I note it doesn't actually say the circles are 'astronomical high water', but rather 'Dark grey circles indicate high water times (plotted for EACH current residual forecast)'.

I suspect this means that the times circled are the time of the predicted highest water after combining the forecast surge and the predicted astronomical tide.

Aha, well spotted! I had noticed occasionally that the circles were in the ‘wrong’ place for astronomical HW but never twigged that they were for the highest expected level aggregating astronomical and forecast surge. I think it would be useful for “at-a-glance should I worry” to have the astro HW marked so it’s quick and easy to see how much surge is expected at that time. Flooding due to surge is rarely an issue unless close to astro HW.

 

[Leighb]

My Tides app shows LW at 00-50 and HW at 07-10 so something is out on the surge chart. HW is predicted to be 3.7m + say 1.3m at HW gives a pretty big tide.
I expect they will be shutting our tide gate here at Woodbridge, maybe tomorrow?

The did shut it this morning, for some reason it took 17 people and two vans to do the job and the use of a door pump?!!
Usually there is just one chap who wheels the battery and winch on a sack barrow from a small van parked on the road.
Maybe some sort of training event?

 

[LittleSister]

. . . for some reason it took 17 people and two vans to do the job . . .

That wasn't for the gate, that was for fighting off the Vikings that had earlier arrived in that longboat!

 

[Leighb]

That wasn't for the gate, that was for fighting off the Vikings that had earlier arrived in that longboat!

No that was Santa’s elves!

 

[Leighb]

Incidentally it is about 1 1/2 hours after HW Woodbridge, and the tide is still over the quay at the Tide Mill!

 

[Aquaboy]

yep....I'm sitting here thinking why can I stil hear the tide..... Oh thats why

 

[westhinder]

Tonight the Maeslantkering, the storm surge barrier that shuts off the harbour of Rotterdam, was closed for the first time in earnest. Maeslantkering automatisch gesloten, eerste keer door hoogwater

The Oosterschelde barrier is closed as well, as are the flood gates along the Westerschelde quays protecting the city centre of Antwerp.
The water level in Nieuwpoort reached 6.28 m LAT tonight, I can’t remember I’ve seen it that high in the last couple of years.

 

[shanemax]

A 5 meter tide at Harwich/Felixstowe is always worth a mention, enough to strain a mooring for those who keep their mooring rope tight, this in turn can force the bow of the boat to behave in a dodgy manner especially in strong winds.