THE first winter storm of the year is starting to hit the north coast of Cornwall, as this stunning video by Dave Meredith shows.

Posting on his Twitter Account Newquay_Dave, his video shows massive waves crashing against the rocks on the north coast near Newquay.

The RNLI has issued a warning for extremely dangerous sea conditions for the rest of the week with huge waves, strong rip currents and increased tidal surges forecast.

The swell is being generated by the combination of a storm and big low pressure in the north Atlantic and coincides with strong winds which are predicted to create potentially dangerous sea conditions.

Forecasters are predicting a massive swell to hit Europe and the UK today and Thursday, with challenging conditions then set to continue for the rest of the week.  This swell is predicted to be dangerous in exposed areas of Cornwall and Devon, but the effects will create rough conditions along the south coast of Devon and into Dorset, so those heading to the coast should take extra care.