| Areas affected: | Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and United Kingdom |
The North Sea flood of 2007 was a storm tide of the North Sea affecting the coastlines of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Belgium, starting on the night of 8–9 November 2007.
In combination with a high tide, the tidal level was expected to exceed 3 metres (9.8 ft) above normal sea levels. The flood and waves were expected to overwhelm sea defences and cause extensive flooding; in particular, the coasts of Norfolk and Kent. However, in the event, the storm surge was 20 centimetres (7.9 in) less than forecast, and damage was relatively minor.[1]
Flood warnings were issued for the east coast of Britain and the entire Dutch coast. The Maeslantkering in the port city of Rotterdam was closed for the first time since its construction in 1997.[2] Denmark and Germany issued severe gale warnings for winds gusts up to 125 km/h (78 mph), and the Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland expected winds gusts up to 145 km/h (90 mph). Oil platforms off the coast of Norway were also closed for the duration of the storm.
One other consequence of the storm was a record influx of Little Auks (a small Arctic seabird) into the North Sea, with a count of 18,371 from the Farne Islands on 9 November as they returned north, nearly double the previous record count, then further counts there of 7,143 on 10 November and 28,803 on 11 November.[3]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||