Meteotsunami in the United Kingdom: the hidden hazard

This paper examines the occurrence and seasonality of meteotsunami in theUnited Kingdom (UK) to present a revised and updated catalogue of eventsthat have occurred since 1750. Previous case studies have alluded to a summerprevalence and rarity of this hazard in the UK. We have verified andclassified 98 events using a developed set of identification criteria. Theresults have revealed a prominent seasonal pattern of winter events whichare related to mid-latitude depressions with precipitating convectiveweather systems. A geographical pattern has also emerged, highlighting three"hotspot" areas at the highest risk from meteotsunami. The evidencereviewed and new data presented here show that the hazard posed bymeteotsunami has been underestimated in the UK.