1st/2nd Nov: Storm Ciarán

Met Office forecast (T+24) for 00:00 on 2nd November.

By 31st October 2023 a number of Met Office warnings for rain and wind were in force associated with named storm Ciarán , including a rare Amber Warning for wind during 06:00 to 20:00 on Thursday 2nd November.  On 1st November a Flood Warning was issued for the Itchen Estuary for the overnight tide, but due to industrial action this was an automated one, lacking detail.  I already had the flood prevention measures in place for my house and next door, and I left them there until the weekend.  So what happened?

My computer screens at 01:15 on the 2nd November with the frontal system just passing over Southampton.

For 2nd November, Hampshire County Council declared an emergency and schools were closed.  Lepe Country Park closed and both NCI Calshot Tower and NCI Stone Point were closed.  There were strong winds in the west country, the Channel Islands and northern France, and in Kent. But somehow we escaped the worst winds.

With regard to water levels in the River Itchen and flooding in Priory Road we were lucky.  I got up at around the time of the first high water (about 01:00 on 2nd November) but probably had missed the peak level (see my more detailed analysis).  The water was about level with the jetty staging but the shed floor was dry.  I naively thought the event was over, however I wake up very early nowadays and when I looked out at about 4am water was coming through the shed floor boards and the jetty was under water.  It turned out that that was the real peak of the event.  Here are some photos: