Hourly sea surge variations observed at three tide-gauge stations (Grau-de-la-Dent(GD) located in the Rhone Delta, Sete(SE), and Port-Vendres(PV)) around the Gulf of Lions are strongly correlated during the wintertime period (October to March) of 1986-1995. Relationships between the early morning (6 a.m. UTC) sea surge observed at Grau-de-la-Dent station and five weather regimes - Zonal (ZO), East-Atlantic (EA), Greenland Above (GA), Blocking (BL), and Atlantic Ridge (AR) - over the northeast Atlantic and Europe (40 degrees W-40 degrees E, 30 degrees-70 degrees N) are analysed during the wintertime period of 1905-2002. More than 75% of sea surges >= 40 cm occur during both of the weather regimes associated with a negative North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) phase (41.2 and 34% during BL and GA weather regimes, respectively), ahead of low pressure travelling usually southeastward, on a stormtrack shifted south of 55 degrees N. The relationships between monthly/seasonal frequency of weather regime and 75th percentile of sea surge at GD tend to strengthen during the 20th century: for example, correlation between seasonal frequencies of GA and 75th percentile of sea surge increases from 0.07 (not significant) in 1905-40 to 0.83 (signifficant at the one-sided 99% level) in 1974-2002. Copyright (c) 2007 Royal Meteorological Society.
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