May's high tides are with us this weekend

We are approaching Spring tides again this coming weekend with the highest tides (max 4.4m) at 07.54 and 20.18 on Saturday 7th and at 08.42 and 21.02 on Sunday 8th.

However with atmospheric pressure predicted to be above 1003 mb and light winds from a SE direction there should be no flooding problem.

High Spring tides and inclement weather forecast on Sunday 10 April

Topsham residents will be aware that there are high Spring tides this weekend, 9-10 April. On Sunday adverse weather conditions are forecast with rain and high winds, particularly in the evening, which means that some low lying areas adjacent to the river may flood. There are likely to be winds gusting up to 30 mph from east-south-east for most of the day. However the atmospheric pressure should be high-ish, meaning there is unlikely to be a significant storm surge.

Our expectation is that water will overlap low lying places, therefore residents adjacent to such areas who have flood protection should deploy on Sunday, particularly the evening. For those without property protection there will be sandbags available at the usual points, i.e. Topsham Quay and the Rec.

Please note that the weather forecast for Sunday has been changing most of the week, so residents should keep abreast of matters by tuning into the radio, tv and/or internet weather forecasts. If the situation worsens we will place flood wardens on standby.

High tides this week, 8 - 13 March

There will be high Spring tides between Tuesday 8/03/16 and Sunday 13/03/16, the highest being between 07.30 and 08.30 on Thursday 10th and Friday 11th.

However on these days we will be experiencing high pressure with the wind from the North West veering round to the South and then to the Northerly direction again.

The risk of flooding is LOW.

Spring tides next week (starting Monday 8th February)

We can expect Spring tides along the Topsham waterfront all next week, with the highest tides at 4.5m on Thursday and Friday.

At this stage there are some concerns about Monday, mainly due to the strength of wind (gusting to 60 mph) so residents should keep a close eye on the weather forecasts for Monday. Also, with the recent heavy rain, there is a lot of water in the river. If going away, we suggest you deploy your flood defences.

However atmospheric pressure is set to rise from Tuesday, and from Wednesday the winds are expected to veer northerly.

Overall our assessment is that the risk of flooding is low to medium.

High tides due next week from Sunday

Once again we are approaching high Spring tides for the coming week in Topsham.

We are concerned in particular that the high tide at 06.51 on Sunday morning, 10th January, of 4 metres will be raised by another 280mm due to a surge. This coupled with a predicted low pressure of around 987mb should mean an effective tide height of around 4.4 metres. Not helping matters, the wind will be from the South West gusting up to 28mph.

The highest tide of the week will be on Wednesday 13th at 08.47 at 4.3 meres with wind from the West but with normal atmospheric pressure.

It is predicted that water will overlap low lying roads in the area during these high tides.To be on the safe, we suggested that if they are away during this period, residents should deploy their flood barriers.

Flood Update - January 2016

‘Storm Frank’ was a reminder that living close to a river can have its downside - the stronger than expected southerly wind and swell of 2’ or more meant that we were quite close to an incident. A reminder of two years ago, when we had a ‘near miss’ early in the New Year, followed by the storm that led to incidents on both sides of the Exe estuary, including Topsham.

This re-emphasises the need to be prepared. The Topsham Emergency Group has produced tide tables for 2016. These will be distributed to residents in the flood zone during the first week of January 2016, by your friendly local flood warden. Residents should raise any points regarding flood protection with their flood warden.

Flood Wardens are reminded of the meeting in the Globe on Sunday 3rd January, 6-7 pm.

EA Flood Warning Service

Please note that the Environment Agency have refined their flood warning service. The EA area local to us is now known as South Devon Coast at Topsham and Cockwood. According to the EA, future flood warnings will be based on improved flood forecasting techniques as well as adjusting the water level, wind and wave conditions that will trigger warnings. Quick dial number to access warnings is 162204.

The Topsham Emergency Group continue to monitor local weather and tidal conditions from a variety of sources, including the EA, and will keep residents informed via this website should flood conditions threaten.