Storm Ciara heading our way...

...across the Netherlands. The same day that the rivers filled with water from the Alps reach their highest point. Let's see if our billions and billions for protecting ourselves against the water are well-spent.

The water level in the Rhine and the Meuse is already above its normal winter height, but still a few meters under the max level of the first dyke. After that, there's always as second (higher) one or a special shield to stop the water. Normally, it's all flowing to the west, to the sea. But this Sunday, winter storm Ciara hits us with very high winds from the SW. Forecasts talk about 140 km/hr gusts. On land up to 100 km/hr; that's uncommon). A great moment to test the 'protective artworks' as they're officially named.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_...he_Netherlands

One of the barriers is called the Maeslantkering (Meuse-land Barrier in old-type spelling). That vehicle closes the port to Rotterdam; that way it will not overflow. At the same time, all the water from the rivers wants to go OUT. It's going to be an interesting Sunday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetmgwicbXs

Menno

There are times when I look down from the house into the Forth Valley at the River Forth, we are a couple of hundred feetish above sea level, and am grateful, no so much when I have to walk up the the hill home from the pub. But good luck guys in the “Low Countries”, flooding and storm conditions don’t bother us so much here so we can’t Imagine how it must be to have this chance, fingers crossed all is fine.

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Originally Posted by thieuster

That vehicle closes the port to Rotterdam; that way it will not overflow. At the same time, all the water from the rivers wants to go OUT. It's going to be an interesting Sunday.

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London has the same problem with the Thames Barrier. Closing it can stop a surge coming up the Thames but it also means that water going down the Thames can't get out. In heavy rain conditions this can be a problem, I understand.

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Originally Posted by Pitfitter

There are times when I look down from the house into the Forth Valley at the River Forth, we are a couple of hundred feetish above sea level, and am grateful, no so much when I have to walk up the the hill home from the pub. But good luck guys in the “Low Countries”, flooding and storm conditions don’t bother us so much here so we can’t Imagine how it must be to have this chance, fingers crossed all is fine.

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I live 12 meters above sea level, so it won't hurt me as well. Falling trees in the park next to my house will be a bigger problem. Luckily the wind will push them away from my garden and roof top...

I live near Earsham dam which floods if someone leaves a tap running for too long - but the surrounding land is developed to cope with it of course. It’s astonishing how much water can appear and then dissipate without affecting any local houses.

It’s been regularly flooded recently.

https://i.ibb.co/KLxx89P/C7867-CC6-D...C9-F00-B16.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/Jc2Rwzv/BD9819-BF-0...916701-C29.jpg

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Similar scenes around here near Huntingdon, loads of flooding of fields that hasn’t subsided in months.

I just realised that it's a full moon tomorrow as well. That's spring-tide and that adds 20 - 40 water-heigth under normal circumstances. I have no idea how that will turn out for next Sunday.

M

Do you want me to pop over and put me finger in a dyke?

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Originally Posted by Alpha4

Do you want me to pop over and put me finger in a dyke?

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I admire a man who always looks for the win in a situation!

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Originally Posted by Alpha4

Do you want me to pop over and put me finger in a dyke?

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Not the Hans Brinker version I presume.

Very strong winds in the Midlands at the moment. Must be lethal on the coasts .

The tarpaulin blow off the chav neighbours illegal massive live in shed construction, what a shame.

It's wild and windy on the North East coast this morning. Hope to get some good wave photos at high tide this afternoon.

Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves

Called off the MCFC v WHU game .
Travelling conditions look a bit bleak. Surely this could’ve been decided yesterday to save fans from setting off .

Bit of a gale where I am, nothing special. power still works and it usually goes out very easily here

As a friend used to say, “Blowing a hoolie here, on the “trying to light my pipe” scale it’s reached the dizzy heights of effe it, I’m going in!”

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Originally Posted by PickleB

#StormCiara

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Getting back to the OP's point about water levels in the Netherlands, the rain accompanying Ciara won't help with the river levels but I think that the coasts are OK (link) as far as flooding goes (storm damage is something else). This afternoon's high tide will be the test. The fact that the winds were not directly onshore will have helped, although they are forecast to veer and become more westerly. Tuesday sees the highest tides but the wind should be abating by then.

I have to say that I am impressed with the new look and compressive coverage of their Waterdata website, but then water management is a forte of the Netherlands.

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Originally Posted by PickleB

Getting back to the OP's point about water levels in the Netherlands, the rain accompanying Ciara won't help with the river levels but I think that the coasts are OK (link) as far as flooding goes (storm damage is something else). This afternoon's high tide will be the test. The fact that the winds were not directly onshore will have helped, although they are forecast to veer and become more westerly. Tuesday sees the highest tides but the wind should be abating by then.

I have to say that I am impressed with the new look and compressive coverage of their Waterdata website, but then water management is a forte of the Netherlands.

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The Dutch National Sailing Squad with its base in The Hague has been testing the beta-version of this website for two years. Of course, other stakeholders had a beta-version as well. They had it on two big screens: one in big hall near the briefing rooms and one down stairs in the 'shop' where all boats are stashed at night (and maintained). Most sailor took the time to make a quick sketch with the current and the time and then they switched to the windfinder website: a German-based group of people who came up with this a few years ago. Their force is in the fact that they listen to their users! You can email and call them for suggestions or feedback - the website is constantly updated. https://nl.windfinder.com/#3/49.5042/9.5421


A Dutch marketing strategy company organizes the National Cycling Against The Wind Tournament on the Zeeland Dam in the SW part of Zeeland. This is the first time ever that they had to abandon the race because it was too dangerous for lorries to go over the Dam collecting bikes!

https://www.facebook.com/NKtegenwind...QZoRxYgeh7MXoY

I just saw some photos on Facebook from someone moaning about storm Ciara destroying their caravan awning.
I’m sorry but what idiot leaves an awning up when up to 80mph winds have been forecast.

Poor sods in Hebden Bridge flooded again despite tens of millions of £ spent on flood defences after the last serious floods they had (2015?).

Left Amsterdam yesterday, looks like I timed that well

I posted about the Maeslandt Barrier designed for the protection of Rotterdam. East of Rotterdam, there's another barrier built to protect the low-lands NE of Rotterdam (7 meters under sea level). Tonight it will close. It is custom to communicate its closure. Not only for ships on the river, but also for people living in those low-lands. How? By projecting red light on the towers. A sign of securement

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EQWTNr3W...pg&name=medium

Two towers are red; the door is down. The other door (background) is still up on this picture. It can be lowered as well, but that hasn't happened yet, afaik. This picture was taken during a test run last Summer.

I can'tbelieve this has happened again. Those poor people. Flooding looks bad again this time.

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Originally Posted by David_D

Poor sods in Hebden Bridge flooded again despite tens of millions of £ spent on flood defences after the last serious floods they had (2015?).

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- - - Updated - - -

I can'tbelieve this has happened again. Those poor people. Flooding looks bad again this time.

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Originally Posted by David_D

Poor sods in Hebden Bridge flooded again despite tens of millions of £ spent on flood defences after the last serious floods they had (2015?).

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My brother's local town in North Wales earlier today.


https://i986.photobucket.com/albums/...sjg9ijo3o.jpeg


https://i986.photobucket.com/albums/...sv918pyk9.jpeg

R

I went out and did 55 miles on my bike earlier. It was a bit blowy! Maybe not surprisingly I didn't see a single other person out on a bike today :-/

Ciara generously deposited a neighbour's tree in our garden.

Amazingly, only the washing line and a bit of the grass seems to have come to much harm as a result.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0873dc0c92.jpg

M

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

^^^ Bad luck about tree. Good luck, amazing luck actually, that it caused so little damage! :eagerness:

Sea’ has been offshore here on the North Kent Coast -so pretty flat, different story on the South Coast

https://www.facebook.com/6251868998/...7386739593999/


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by NIGE UK

Sea’s been offshore here on the North Kent Coast -so pretty flat, different story on the South Coast

https://www.facebook.com/6251868998/...7386739593999/

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Not bad for a bunch of volunteers.

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Originally Posted by NIGE UK

Sea’ has been offshore here on the North Kent Coast -so pretty flat, different story on the South Coast

https://www.facebook.com/6251868998/...7386739593999/


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Cripes! That looks rough. My son went on his school trip to France at 5am this morning. Sailing from Portsmouth to Caen. We were very relieved to hear that they docked safely this afternoon, albeit a couple of hours later than expected. According to the school twitter feed, less than 50% of the kids were sick on the crossing. Result!

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Originally Posted by 100thmonkey

Left Amsterdam yesterday, looks like I timed that well

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No, you didn’t. It’s lovely here.

Road signs blown over and snapped plus all the bikes blown over.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...131b6e7a09.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c9444463f3.jpg

Had a 20 foot conifer branch come down in the garden will have to get the chainsaw out after work to sort it out

I can't remember the last storm which had winds this strong in my area. Clocked a 60.1 mph gust on my weather station. Few trees down round the area.

quite a few trees down in hull and some building damage (not mine thankfully) humber bridge closed for only the second time. some local flood spots, visibility down to near zero in a few of the squalls today, we also had violent lightning and instantaneous deafening thunder a few times tonight about 6pm

Had been in Norfolk for just one day on a short break when we got a call from our cat-sitter: one of the chimneys has come down, gone clean through the roof in no less than 3 directions, and dropped bricks through the roof of our conservatory - where the cats live: cats AWOL, glass EVERYWHERE...

Cue 100 mile drive through the worst of the storm (spent an hour at ~30mph due to flooding and downed trees)...

Fortunately my Mrs managed to round-up the somewhat traumatised cats when we got back, and a good friend helped me sort an emergency roofer, clean-up the worst of the broken glass, bricks etc, and tank out the affected rooms with extra-strong sheeting to limit the internal damage from further rain incursion etc.

Just praying the insurance comes through for us, cos we've got 3 rooms out of commission, and a ruined holiday. And I've still got a round-trip to Norfolk and back to collect friends and dogs! Ironic that the damn dogs who do nothing useful 24/7/365 get a holiday, while our first short break in 2 years is ruined!

Hey-ho, First World Problems...

Looks like the usual suspects in Yorkshire especially (Hebden Bridge &c) have it PLENTY worse. Our inability to cope with a bit of weather is a national effing disgrace!

The river was starting to come over at the entrance to my estate when I left for work at 7pm, they have closed the road now. Fire crews talking about evacuations.



https://i.ibb.co/hmD5VvR/2210587-C-3...-C9-A8-AE4.jpg

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You have an estate - respect [emoji106]

I’m on call this weekend, numerous journeys to London & back have been made that little more difficult due to the M11 being closed ........ as there’s a fear of the roof being blown off the hanger at the imperial war museum!

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Originally Posted by number2

You have an estate - respect [emoji106]

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😂

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Originally Posted by Tenko

Cripes! That looks rough. My son went on his school trip to France at 5am this morning. Sailing from Portsmouth to Caen. We were very relieved to hear that they docked safely this afternoon, albeit a couple of hours later than expected. According to the school twitter feed, less than 50% of the kids were sick on the crossing. Result!

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A friend's son was on the record breaking flight from New York on Sunday morning. Arrived something like 2.5 hours early!

M

Currently stuck in Frankfurt, it’s pretty doggers all over Europe.

Spent today picking up fallen bricks, cutting up fallen trees, and (unsuccessfully) attempting to persuade tradespeople to come out and secure the various holes in the roof - roofers came and went away again as they decided it was too dangerous... Scaffolders didn't even make it to quote, glaziers the same... *sigh* Just waiting for the ceilings to collapse now... Claims adjuster due tomorrow AM - fingers crossed.

https://jtbatq.db.files.1drv.com/y4m...&cropmode=none

What a mess Paul, that must be frustrating and stressful to deal with knowing that you cannot rely on tradespeople at this time (like most of the time!) and you have so much resting on the assesors opinion. The wind was unbelievable here on the West coast on Saturday night but it doesn't seem like it had abated much at all by the time got to the other side of the country. People here were dreading the wind but didn't count on the massive amounts of rain that led to significant flooding compounded by extremely high tides and big waves threatening some properties.

Good luck with it all, hopefully, tomorrow goes as you hope :eagerness:

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Originally Posted by mondie

What a mess Paul, that must be frustrating and stressful to deal with knowing that you cannot rely on tradespeople at this time (like most of the time!) and you have so much resting on the assesors opinion. The wind was unbelievable here on the West coast on Saturday night but it doesn't seem like it had abated much at all by the time got to the other side of the country. People here were dreading the wind but didn't count on the massive amounts of rain that led to significant flooding compounded by extremely high tides and big waves threatening some properties.

Good luck with it all, hopefully, tomorrow goes as you hope :eagerness:

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Curse of an old house mate... We were a couple of months away from starting remedial works too... Judging by the news we came off lightly compared to many.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMinwf-kRlA

And oh yeah, Dennis is heading our way as well.