Britain is bracing for possible severe flooding along its east coast due to a storm surge in the North Sea.
The 3m high surge could combine with peak tides, north-westerly winds exceeding 80km/h and low pressure to create waves of a magnitude only seen once in 20 years.
In the House of Commons, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said the threat would peak tomorrow but could last for 48 hours.
The Environment Agency said the storm surge was expected to hit the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex coastline from early tomorrow.
In anticipation of the surge the Thames Barrier, which protects London from flooding, was to be closed from 8pm tonight, to cope with water levels 1.5m higher than usual.
Authorities in Norway and the Netherlands also issued storm warnings, and oil companies took action to protect platforms in the North Sea.
In the Dutch port of Rotterdam the storm surge barrier was to be lowered for the first time since its construction in the 1990s.
