Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon

18 miles and 180 billion pebbles


List
Storms Impact Litter List Chesil Home

This is a list of the major storms to impact Chesil Beach or Hamm Beach. It is not a full list as many storms are undocumented and only those that cause significant damage get documented.

Year

Date

Type

Notes

1703

November

SW Gale

A very major storm with much damage

1824

November

SW Gale

The great hurricane with much damage and flooding

1904

February

Swell


1920

February

SW Gale


1914

February

SW Gale


1924

January

SW Gale

Chiswell badly flooded

1936

11th November

SW Gale


1942

13th December

Swell

Major swell event with much damage in Chiswell

1949


SE Gale

Railway embankment breached

1954

27th November

SW Gale

A major storm with severe flooding of the beach road

1962

18th January

SW Gale and swell

Chiswell sea wall undermined

1974

???

SW Gale

Flooding on the beach road

1976

11th October

SW Gale

Severe flooding of Chiswell and the beach road

1978

February

SW Gale

Several gales in quick succession. Severe flooding in Chiswell and damage at West Bay.

1978

13th December

SW Gale and swell


1979

13th February

Swell

A major swell event with considerable over-topping

1987

16th October

SW Gale

The great hurricane. Severe damage ashore but little flooding around Chesil

1989

16th December

SW Gale

Considerable re-structuring of Chesil Beach. Large amounts of litter on Fleet shoreline

1990

25th January

SW Gale


2008

10th March

SW Gale

Over-topping into the Fleet

2009

9th February

N Gale

Although not a major storm, the pattern of winds and waves had a dramatic effect on the structure of the beach. A note describing the event can be downloaded here.

2014

February

SW Gale

A succession of severe storms with the worst on the 14-15th with major over-topping and re-alignment of the beach crest

2020

27th December

W Gale

Storm Bella. Winds peaking at 80 mph and peak wave heights of 8 metres.

2021

30th January

Swell

Long period wave for about 1 hour peaking at 7.5 metres and 24 second period. Some overtopping at Chiswell and at Ferrybridge. The larger canns at Ferrybridge show some minimal activity. Long period waves continued for several days at a lower wave height.

2022


Gales

Storms Eunice and Franklin. Waves up to 8.5 metres but no overtopping or cann activity. Pebbles moved around on the Fleet foreshore and beach substrate exposed in lower Fleet.

2023

1-2nd Nov

W Gale

Storm Ciarán. Started late on 1st with southerly winds then went WNW morning of 2nd. Gust >70mph. Considerable overtopping Abbotsbury northwards. Portland Beach Road closed due to water coming through the beach. Beach breached at Cogden.

2024

2-3rd Jan

S. Gale

Storm Henk. Waves up to 8 metres, wind peaking at 58 knots. Little over-topping. Met Office note on this storm can be found here.


21-22nd Jan

SW gale

Storm Isha. Waves up to 8.5 metres, wind peaking at 68 knots.