Waves and wind safety - top 5 tips
High tides and extra large waves are set for this weekend and the combination of tides, winds and large sea swells along Britain鈥檚 coastlines means HM Coastguard is asking people to take extra care and be 鈥榳ind and wave safe'.
Although this week鈥檚 earlier storm weather warnings have been downgraded, HM Coastguard鈥檚 Tago Mcleod who is based at Falmouth in Cornwall says people should not relax and stay on safety alert while on the coast.
鈥楾he winds are still going to be strong and the mix of wind, bigger than usual tidal swells and large, unpredictable waves can very easily catch people out. It鈥檚 human nature to relax a little more when storm warnings have been downgraded but the real risks still remain. It鈥檚 why we鈥檙e asking everyone to take extra care and keep well away from breaking waves, piers and jetties and keep well back from cliff edges this weekend,鈥� he said.
Wind and wave safety - top 5 safety tips
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Selfies; It鈥檚 not worth risking your life for 鈥榯hat selfie鈥�. Keep off groynes, piers, jetties and harbour walls. Big waves can knock you over in a flash. If you can feel the spray, you鈥檙e too close.
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Wave dodging; playing 鈥榙ares鈥� with waves is dangerous in the best of weathers. Rocks and walls can be slippery, often there鈥檚 nothing to grab hold of if you鈥檙e caught off balance and rogue waves and strong currents can sweep you out to sea in seconds.
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Doggie dont鈥檚; do keep your canine friends close and on leads if you鈥檙e out on the cliffs or the coast. You never know when an 鈥榠nteresting鈥� smell or meeting another dog can lead to trouble. If your dog gets stuck or trapped, call the coastguard for help, we have teams out and about at all times, trained for fast response.
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Cliff crises; avoid a crisis on the cliffs by staying well away from the edges, especially in windy conditions when you and children are at risk of being caught off balance. During and after bad weather, cliff faces are especially unstable and landslides and rock falls are common.
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Keep in touch; keep a note of tide times so you don鈥檛 get trapped and take a fully charged mobile (ideally with a location or 鈥榝ind me鈥� app) so you can call for help if things go wrong. Let someone know where you鈥檙e going and when you鈥檒l be back.
If you or anyone is in trouble on the coast, don鈥檛 delay calling for help. It鈥檚 better to be safe than sorry. Call 999 and ask for the coastguard.