Articles | Volume 21, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1631-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1631-2017
Research article
 | 
20 Mar 2017
Research article |  | 20 Mar 2017

High-magnitude flooding across Britain since AD 1750

Neil Macdonald and Heather Sangster

Related authors

Reassessing long-term drought risk and societal impacts in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, north-east China (1200–2015)
LingYun Tang, Neil Macdonald, Heather Sangster, Richard Chiverrell, and Rachel Gaulton
Clim. Past, 16, 1917–1935, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1917-2020,https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-1917-2020, 2020
Short summary
Demystifying academics to enhance university–business collaborations in environmental science
John K. Hillier, Geoffrey R. Saville, Mike J. Smith, Alister J. Scott, Emma K. Raven, Jonathon Gascoigne, Louise J. Slater, Nevil Quinn, Andreas Tsanakas, Claire Souch, Gregor C. Leckebusch, Neil Macdonald, Alice M. Milner, Jennifer Loxton, Rebecca Wilebore, Alexandra Collins, Colin MacKechnie, Jaqui Tweddle, Sarah Moller, MacKenzie Dove, Harry Langford, and Jim Craig
Geosci. Commun., 2, 1–23, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-2-1-2019,https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-2-1-2019, 2019
Short summary
A 305-year continuous monthly rainfall series for the island of Ireland (1711–2016)
Conor Murphy, Ciaran Broderick, Timothy P. Burt, Mary Curley, Catriona Duffy, Julia Hall, Shaun Harrigan, Tom K. R. Matthews, Neil Macdonald, Gerard McCarthy, Mark P. McCarthy, Donal Mullan, Simon Noone, Timothy J. Osborn, Ciara Ryan, John Sweeney, Peter W. Thorne, Seamus Walsh, and Robert L. Wilby
Clim. Past, 14, 413–440, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-413-2018,https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-413-2018, 2018
Short summary
A European Flood Database: facilitating comprehensive flood research beyond administrative boundaries
J. Hall, B. Arheimer, G. T. Aronica, A. Bilibashi, M. Boháč, O. Bonacci, M. Borga, P. Burlando, A. Castellarin, G. B. Chirico, P. Claps, K. Fiala, L. Gaál, L. Gorbachova, A. Gül, J. Hannaford, A. Kiss, T. Kjeldsen, S. Kohnová, J. J. Koskela, N. Macdonald, M. Mavrova-Guirguinova, O. Ledvinka, L. Mediero, B. Merz, R. Merz, P. Molnar, A. Montanari, M. Osuch, J. Parajka, R. A. P. Perdigão, I. Radevski, B. Renard, M. Rogger, J. L. Salinas, E. Sauquet, M. Šraj, J. Szolgay, A. Viglione, E. Volpi, D. Wilson, K. Zaimi, and G. Blöschl
Proc. IAHS, 370, 89–95, https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-89-2015,https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-370-89-2015, 2015
Reassessing flood frequency for the Sussex Ouse, Lewes: the inclusion of historical flood information since AD 1650
N. Macdonald, T. R. Kjeldsen, I. Prosdocimi, and H. Sangster
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 2817–2828, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-2817-2014,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-2817-2014, 2014

Related subject area

Subject: Catchment hydrology | Techniques and Approaches: Instruments and observation techniques
Effects of urbanization on the water cycle in the Shiyang River basin: based on a stable isotope method
Rui Li, Guofeng Zhu, Siyu Lu, Liyuan Sang, Gaojia Meng, Longhu Chen, Yinying Jiao, and Qinqin Wang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 4437–4452, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4437-2023, 2023
Short summary
Isotopic variations in surface waters and groundwaters of an extremely arid basin and their responses to climate change
Yu Zhang, Hongbing Tan, Peixin Cong, Dongping Shi, Wenbo Rao, and Xiying Zhang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 4019–4038, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4019-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4019-2023, 2023
Short summary
Seasonal variation and influence factors of river water isotopes in the East Asian monsoon region: a case study in the Xiangjiang River basin spanning 13 hydrological years
Xiong Xiao, Xinping Zhang, Zhuoyong Xiao, Zhiguo Rao, Xinguang He, and Cicheng Zhang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3783–3802, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3783-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3783-2023, 2023
Short summary
El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-driven hypersedimentation in the Poechos Reservoir, northern Peru
Anthony Foucher, Sergio Morera, Michael Sanchez, Jhon Orrillo, and Olivier Evrard
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3191–3204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3191-2023,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3191-2023, 2023
Short summary
Impacts of hydrofacies geometry designed from seismic refraction tomography on estimated hydrogeophysical variables
Nolwenn Lesparre, Sylvain Pasquet, and Philippe Ackerer
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10512955.1,https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10512955.1, 2023
Short summary

Cited articles

Acreman, M. C.: Extreme Historical UK floods and maximum flood estimation, Water Environ. J., 3, 404–412, 1989.
Archer, D. R.: Improvement in flood estimates using historical flood information on the River Wear at Durham, British Hydrolo. Soc. Symp, First National symposium, 14–16 September 1987, Hull, 1987.
Archer, D. R.: Land of Singing Waters: Rivers and Great Floods of Northumbria, Spredden Press, Stocksfield, Northumbria, UK, 1992.
Archer, D. R.: Practical application of historical flood information in flood estimation, in: Hydrological Extremes: Understanding, Predicting, Mitigating, IAHS Publ. 255, edited by: Gottschalk, L., Olivry, J.-C., Reed, D., and Rosbjerg, D., IAHS Press, Wallingford, UK, 191–199, 1999.
Archer, D. R.: Tyne and Tide: A celebration of the River Tyne, Daryan Press, Ovingham, 2003.
Download
Short summary
We use historical records to extend current understanding of flood risk, examining past spatial and temporal variability and ask are the perceived high-magnitude flood events witnessed in recent years really unprecedented? We identify that there are statistically significant relationships between the British flood index and climatic drivers, whereby the largest floods often transcend single catchments affecting regions and that the current flood-rich period is not unprecedented.