North Sea Storm Closes Europe's Largest Port (Rotterdam) As Well As Oil & Gas Platforms - AFP

[hatrack]

A brewing storm Thursday in the North Sea forced the closure of oil platforms off the Norwegian coast as well as Europe's largest port as British forecasters warned of the worst swells in 20 years.

The impending storm prompted authorities in the Dutch port of Rotterdam to say they would lower a giant storm surge barrier for the first time since its construction in the 1990s. No boat would be allowed to enter or leave between 2000 GMT on Thursday and 0500 GMT on Friday, the authorities said, predicting the measure would affect some 60 passenger and freight ships.

The Netherlands also stepped up surveillance of seawalls along its coast for the first time since 1976. One third of the Dutch land mass is below sea level.

Britain's Met Office warned of gusts of up to 90 miles (145 kilometres) per hour for the Orkney and Shetland islands off northern Scotland, and said the combination of high tides and strong winds could play havoc in the south. "The height of the surge we are expecting on Friday morning happens around once every 20 years or so," said Stewart Wortley, the head of storm tide forecasting.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/North_Sea_storm_closes_oil_platforms_Europes_largest_port_999.html

[Systematic Chaos]

1. ...around once every 20 years or so...

Maybe they'll need to change that to "months" before long.