Measuring the storm surge
EU–(ENEWSPF)–9 December 2013. ESA’s CryoSat satellite measured the storm surge from the recent North Sea storms, as high waters passed through the Kattegat sea between Denmark and Sweden.
During 5–6 December, a major storm passed through northern Europe causing flooding, blackouts, grounding flights and bringing road, rail and sea travel to a halt.
Since the storm coincided with a period of high tides in the North Sea, there were extremely high sea levels – a ‘storm surge’. In the UK, sea levels were at their highest since the 1953 North Sea Floods, while in Germany, parts of Hamburg were flooded.
On Friday night, CryoSat passed over Kattegat, providing an estimate of total water levels. The observations matched predictions, helping to confirm these models.
