Britain and the Channel Islands have been experiencing the sort of supertides that experts had been predicting for 2015. Parts of the country’s coastline have been hit by waves as high as 50ft, and the Thames has burst its banks on multiple occasions.
The last week of February saw the Environment Agency issue no fewer than 80 flood alerts and warnings in Wales and England, as higher than usual tides placed homes close to the coast under threat. There was particular concern in the Wye and Mersey estuaries and in Cumbria, Lancashire and along the Somerset coast.
High winds have added to the problems, and there has been a human cost as a result of the conditions. In South Bay, Scarborough, for example, a dog walker died after he was swept away by the sea as the area was battered by gale-force winds.
The combined pull of the sun and the moon, along with the inclement weather conditions, has also lead to areas of flooding across the country.
In the area around the Thames, for example, flooding occurred in both Richmond and Greenwich, leading to residents monitoring tide times and planning ahead in fear that their properties would be affected.
Porthcawl – Image courtesy of Jason Dale, tog.co.uk
The Environment Agency and Coast Guards across the country have been warning people to be aware of the potential dangers associated with the supertides and the accompanying weather fronts. People are being urged to stay away from the coast amid fears that they could be washed into the sea, and to ensure that everyone who could be affected by flooding remains fully aware of the alerts and warnings that are in place.
The conditions have produced many spectacular photographs of the British coastline and images highlighting the power of the sea, but photographers are also being called on to place their own safety before their quest for that perfect shot.
