With the next run of wild winds and monster waves set to hit on Friday and Saturday, Cornwall is facing what looks like the most damaging storm yet.
With coastal defences already damaged, the latest storm, dubbed 'Strike Four' or 'Even Bigger Saturday' is looking like an "absolute monster" according to wave forecasting gurus Magic Seaweed. Click here to visit.
Calling it the "largest and perhaps most damaging yet", Magic Seaweed says the story of the expected storm and recent swells is one of coastal destruction with "the continuing rapid erosion of sand and cliffs, direct damage to structures and buildings, and ongoing coastal flooding", adding this is "indirectly to the giant waves but much more a function of huge astronomical tides (caused by the alignment of moon and sun and the moon being particularly close to the Earth) and as importantly a large storm surge".
This surge is due to the low air pressure lifting the surface of the water, the fierce winds pushing water in front of it towards the coast and the rise in sea level as they break in shallow water.
The only good news for coastal communities already suffering is a return to neap tides almost 1.5m/5ft smaller than we saw at the peak of that last swell which should go some way to mitigating wave action.
Magic seaweed says:
Forecast heights at peak of the swell at Sennen / Seven Stones Lightship, Cornwall, England
Hercules (6th Jan): 28ft@21 seconds
Take Two (1st Feb): 28ft@19 seconds
Brigid (5th Feb): 30ft@18 seconds
Strike Four (8th Feb): 35ft@19 seconds
The Met Office are warning of heavy rain and northwesterly gales during the early hours of Friday and another band of rain, heavy at times, accompanied by coastal gales hitting southwest England during Friday evening, moving quickly east across other southern areas early on Saturday, followed by frequent heavy and squally showers.
Amber and yellow alerts are in place across wide swathes of Cornwall Devon and Somerset.
Winds will also be a feature during Friday night and Saturday with severe gales possible around coasts in the south and southwest of England.
Get ready for more of this.
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