UK Tide Gauge Network

The establishment of a UK Tide Gauge Network (UKTGN) was recommended as a result of severe flooding along the east coast of England in 1953 and it is now owned and funded by the Environment Agency (EA).

The UKTGN is part of the National Tidal & Sea Level Facility (NTSLF). The NTSLF is hosted by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), formerly the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) and is a consortium consisting of

• NOC science groups
• British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC)
• UK Tide Gauge Inspectorate
• NOC Applications Group

The network comprises approximately 45 gauges. Most are related through the national levelling network to Ordnance Datum Newlyn. Data are collected, processed and banked centrally to provide long time series of reliable and accurate sea levels. The data are used for tidal analysis and prediction, oceanographic research, coastal defence and storm surge warning systems.

The British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) has a special responsibility for the remote monitoring and retrieval of quarter hourly sea level data from the National Tide Gauge Network. Daily checks are kept on the performance of the gauges and the data are downloaded weekly. These are then routinely processed and quality controlled prior to being made available for scientific use.

Data can be downloaded from the online delivery web page.