It is the time of year when the people of Britain are generally looking forward to calmer spells of weather and maybe even to spending some time in the sunshine down by the sea.
It is a period when people are more likely to be checking the tide times to plan their next coastal walk or sailing trip rather than because they want to be prepared if stormy seas or high tides pose a flooding risk.
Yet, it is also a time when work is often underway to minimise the damage caused by high seas and bad weather; when people make the most of the calm before the storm to get themselves, their property and their environment as prepared as possible for more inclement times to come.
In Swansea, for example, work has begun on improving the sea wall in a bid to protect the city’s promenade after 2014 high tides caused as much as 60 metres of coastline to erode.
The work centres on the installation of what is known as ‘rock armour’ along the coastline close to West Cross. The armour is created using big boulders of different sizes which are placed strategically to offer protection from tidal damage.
Swansea’s exposed promenade has been under threat from the sea for a long time and the 2014 high tides were far from the first time that threatening sea levels have caused problems. It is for this reason that the scheme was given high priority, not least because it is a popular route for visitors and locals who enjoy walking and cycling between the city centre and the Mumbles.
The protection work began after large trees were removed from the area. They had been made unstable by previous storms and it is hoped that the project will increase both enjoyment and safety levels for people who use the area regularly – or just during an annual trip to the sea.
