Since when has this storm been a hurricane? This sort of thing is really annoying.

I think this could develop into an issue bigger than forecast:

From an area not prone to flooding

My post from another forum on TWO:

Well - this has come as a bit of a shock... New brighton on the wirral is currently under water by about 1-2 metres from the photos im being sent.

Crazy weather, as this isnt particularly low lying area (though it does face the wind)

New brighton car park:

http://www.webcams.travel/webcam/1341948006-Weather-New-Brighton-Merseyside-weather-cam-Wallasey

and

http://www.wirralcam.org/waterfront.shtml

I have a picture of Morrisons in NB flooded. Water looks to cime up as far as windscreens on cars and HGV lorries doors. Ive never seen anything like it for our neck of the woods.

CAnt uplocad the picture due to being on a works PC.

These are areas with a hugh sea wall and new sea defences....really dread to think whats going to hit real low lying areas like Norfolk and suffolk.

Thames barrier will be raised later no doubt.

I think this kind of problem is born out of the phrase "hurricane force winds" people think its a hurricane.

Does seem to be getting worse than we thought. Good if anyone get can pictures - Trouble is - it'll be dark.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/live-merseyside-hit-high-winds-6375437

finally able to source photos...

Looks awful there.

Just about every Emergency Responder now on standby in Kent. Looking highly likely I'll be sent to Sandwich later. News 24 reporting live from there just now.

I think we'll be OK thanks Doc, we're likely to be deployed to one of the safer area rest centres....famous last words!

All our Emergency Response vehicles have been 'readied', and the alert level is the highest possible

1st high tide hits Sandwich aruond 00:45 I think. If they decide to evacuate before that, then we'll ne there sooner. Just gonna grab a bite to eat, and hopefully a power nap just in case.

Crazy to think this didnt get the level of attention that Jude got.  This has been on the cards for over a week now, ive been following it on themodel fourm.  Infact at one point it looked to hit the UK bang on, but instead has been forecasted north of the uk.  This has affected all of the country, not just the south coast.

Will be interesting to see the news stories as they develop overnight and the reaction to them tomorrow.

concerning thoughts as I think of friends just up the road.

Further south, in Norfolk, 9,000 homes are being evacuated as local officials attempt to stem the damage from the coastal surge.

A further 1,000 properties are to be evacuated in affected areas in Suffolk and some residents in Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, are also being urged to leave their homes.

http://news.sky.com/story/1178035/weather-two-dead-and-thousands-evacuated

River Tees and Whitby quayside flooding now - this looks like being a major event for further south.

Whitby Gazette facebook page had decent image before dark
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=665853370126355&l=59e166054e 

I see there are now 3 further SFWs for the North Kent coast. When we were upgraded to fully heightened this morning, there was only 1 (Sandwich). This could stretch our resources a bit over the next 24 hours!

Also scroll down looks two feet deep on Baxtergate.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=665853370126355&l=59e166054e 

Yes, I see that parts of the Isle of Sheppey are under a severe flood alert, namely the marshes to the south and southwest, although there are lesser warnings out for Leysdown. The roads onto the Isle go along the marshes and there are a number of new shops and houses built on the marshes which could end up being clobbered if the water overtops the (small) sea wall there.

I don't envy you tonight and hope that you're lucky with events - the best news of all would be to hear tomorrow morning that the surge was less disruptive than was forecast down here.

Indeed - one of those situations where seeing the words "it was a complete non-event" would be very welcome!

I concede this is worse than I expected it to be. Latest data from various sources suggest a storm surge moving south peaking in teh Thames Estuary and N Kent Coast between 23Z and 02Z Fri at approx 1.5m - 2m above mean high water.
If you know the height of local defences you could probably work out if that's an issue or not, but looking at those numbers this is a very serious issue developing.

It looks like I misunderstood the text flood warnings. From the map here:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/142151.aspx

there's a severe flood warning out just a couple of hundred yards away from here. I can't imagine the seawater would find its way that far inland, but I suppose it depends on whether the defenses are breached. The sea wall looked so massive when I was four, but it's only about five feet above the top of the beach (which is where the sea reaches on exceptionally high tides). It's making me wonder now if that wall really could be breached, it always seemed so solid and impregnable.

Hopefully the words "complete non-event" will be all over the papers tomorrow, even if further north things don't look too good at the moment!

I dont think Clacton will hold,,,, been working hard for years to get it sorted out but council never listened to locals