Professor Kevin Horsburgh, Head of Marine Physics and Ocean Climate at the National Oceanography Centre, says: "This new database allows us to improve our understanding of the statistics of extreme sea levels around the UK. Coastal flooding remains a threat to life and to economic and environmental assets. Even if there is no future change in European storminess, the slow rise in mean sea level will increase the number of times that defence thresholds are exceeded. This database is a useful tool for coastal engineers and planners who are concerned with changes to extreme sea levels.