Warning of dangerous sea due to swell and tide

The majority of beaches along Cornwall and Devon's north coasts will be red-flagged on Tuesday, coastguards say

The coastguard has warned beachgoers the sea will be "really dangerous" on Tuesday because of high spring tides, high pressure and strong swell from Hurricane Erin.

Eddie Robinson, from Falmouth Coastguard, told the BBC coastguards and lifeboat teams were tasked to 38 incidents on Monday, many to rescue people cut off by tides.

He said people planning to visit beaches should check tide times and expect higher water than stated since "the massive swell will push the water higher up".

It was "highly likely" lifeguards would red-flag many beaches on Devon and Cornwall's north coasts to prevent swimming because of large swells, and there would be sizeable offshore winds on south coasts, he added.

Mr Bowden said the surges were "quite big"

He said the sea state was misleading, as there were blue skies along the coastline but "a mile out to sea there is horrible visibility, we're right on the border of nice and nasty weather".

Nigel Bowden, of Perranporth Surf Lifesaving Club, said the bank holiday weather had been "unbelievable" but beachgoers needed to take care in the sea.

He said: "There's a large push behind big swell like this, especially in this good weather because the high pressure doesn't push the water down, so it changes everything.

"There's quite a bit of power coming in behind that swell, so the surges are quite big."

Newquay Coastguard Search and Rescue Team warned of "very large surf, spring high tides and, ultimately, strong rip currents for the next couple of days".

Polzeath Beach Ranger Service said the beach was "one of very few North Cornwall beaches not red-flagged" on Tuesday.

They added: "The waves aren't as big as predicted but they're carrying a lot of energy and push hard, and there is a lot of water moving, so please obey lifeguard commands and guidance."

Higher water levels would increase the risk of people becoming cut off by the tide, coastguards warned

Padstow coastguards said: "The swell from Hurricane Erin arrived overnight and the sea is looking very lively today.

"Strong waves and currents could lead to people being swept out to sea.

"With the spring tides, the water will also reach higher levels than usual, increasing the chance of people being cut off."

Coastguards in Croyde, Devon, said they had dealt with six incidents on Monday, two of which were a family and four people cut off by the tide at Crow Point.

Elsewhere in Devon, Torbay RNLI said crews had a "busy bank holiday Sunday".