On 10th December 2024, SCOPAC hosted a webinar highlighting recent findings for our wave climate on the central south coast of England. This work is an extension of the SCOPAC Storm Analysis (2019) research that was led by Dr Matthew Wadey, Professor Ivan Haigh and Naya Inayatillah, which investigated trends in sea level and our nearshore wave climate.

This recent update by Dr Matthew Wadey, Dr Thomas Dhoop and Elizabeth Warwick Champion extends the wave climate dataset by almost 5 years, allowing for a 20 year trend analysis of our CCO nearshore wave buoys.  The updated research finds for the first time, some statistically significant trends in wave parameters measured by the network (height, period, bimodality and direction). The research also provides an overview of which winters and events can be considered as extreme.

The results prompt thought and discussion on storms, bimodality, swell and impacts, with a recap of some of the events of 2014 and 2024 that caused unexpectedly high damages. This research also highlights the importance of the National Network of Regional Monitoring Programmes continued data collection and raises questions over the implications of these findings to the flood and coastal erosion risk management sector.

The webinar recording is restricted to attendees and members.