Orla Moore
BBC News

North Norfolk District Council manages 45 miles (72.4km) of coastline, stretching from Holkham in the west to Sea Palling.

It has the highest number of Blue Flag beaches, external for any district authority in the UK - a total of six.

The annual accolade means visitors can expect high water quality, a clean beach, good facilities, toilet provision and a lifeguard on duty.

Council leader Sarah Butikofer says the area is blessed with "huge blue skies, stunning views and wonderful people".

"Everything about north Norfolk is welcoming - there's something for everyone, from our coastline and beaches, to our parks and market towns," she said. "We have a little bit of everything."

Early surfers and walkers made the most of an almost deserted beach at the start of the day.

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

The sea off Clacton is still calm, it's very warm with clear blue skies and a disappearing haze.

Graeme Richardson, the RNLI's area lifesaving manager, says the station's watch tower offers the best view over Clacton.

He said the weekend just gone was the busiest in a few years with 15 call outs across Essex.

"Today the nice sunny calm days where the tide changes during the day can be some of the most dangerous of conditions.

"The beach patrol will certainly be very busy and today is a risky day."

The Clacton station, external reports that further south on Mersea Island, the West Mersea, external crew's pagers have just gone off.

That’s a tasking request which means the coastguard wants them for something.

The manager at West Mersea will contact the coastguard’s operation centre in Dover to find out what the job is and then they will head out.

The Mersea team has been cleared to go out on a rescue - believed to be an upturned dinghy.

Nick Ayers, the RNLI's water safety lead in the east, said the good weather and the easing of lockdown has made bodies of water more appealing to visitors.

"We've seen a lot more people standing up on paddle boards - it seems to be a craze at the moment - and kayaking, especially in locations you wouldn't expect, like The Broads," he said.

"We're also getting large numbers of visitors to parts of the beaches that are more off-grid, that don't have a natural seafront community. But people are unaware of the tidal cut-offs and the real dangers there - there won't be official information around.

"We'd ask people to stay near lifeguard beaches and swim between the red and yellow flags, for their own safety.

"We do dread this time of year, and pray for calmer, rainy days."

Martin Barber
BBC News

"Even an Olympic swimmer won't get out of a rip [tide]," said Lisa Dawson, an interior designer from Aylsham who's visiting Cromer to surf.

"Conditions today are perfect. Nice one to two foot swell. Always surf with a buddy for safety," said the surfer, who used to ride the waves in Australia.

"Surf etiquette is something we really want to educate people about - only one person in a wave - if somebody is already in it, give way.

"Cromer is a nice safe break with a mostly sandy beach bottom - other areas can be more flinty.

"And you’ve got lifeguards here too... not to mention to mention great coffee when you come out.

"You need to look where the rips are, but you need to understand them. Don’t go out of your depth and know your limits. I never go out in conditions I don’t feel safe in."

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

And we have our first personal watercraft of the day in Clacton - a jet-ski being launched correctly between the lines of buoys.

• The Eastern Daily Press reports on how villagers are urging beach-goers to take their rubbish home, external due to an "unprecedented amount" of litter
• The Echo tells how a Westcliff man is campaigning to create a year-long dog friendly beach, external
• The East Anglian Daily Times reveals 70 jobs are due to be axed at an Ipswich-based cruise firm, external

Martin Barber
BBC News

Andrew Webster, 36, has been a crab fisherman since he left school 20 years ago.

He's already been out at 04:00 and back to shore with his pots and today's catch included crab and lobster.

He supplies a couple of shops - one here and one in Sheringham - and Jonas Seafoods fishermen and wholesalers in Cromer.

"From catch to cooked and on sale it’s less than 24 hours," he said.

He said a "big part of our market" was hit by the closure of restaurants during the lockdown here and abroad.

Pre-Covid, lobster was £18 a kilo and "in 24 hrs it went down to about £9 - much of the export is to Spain".

He said: "It's great to see towns busy again - good for selling but will it be a bad thing in two or three months time."

Zoe Applegate
BBC News

The heatwave continues today, with temperatures sizzling along the East of England coast.

Image source, Anthony Fan

In Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, the mercury is expected to reach 30 to 33C (86 to 91F).

It will be humid, with hazy sunshine.

However, patchy cloud could bubble up with the risk of catching a sharp shower or thunderstorm in the afternoon.

For more detailed forecasts, go to BBC Weather.

Orla Moore
BBC Local Live

Beachgoers have been reminded of the dangers of rip currents this week after the death of a mother-of-two at Waxham in Norfolk.

Danielle Chilvers, 37, died on Sunday after trying to rescue her youngest son and his friend who had got into difficulty.

Tony Garbutt of HM Coastguard warned about attempting to rescue others.

"Cold water shock will kill you and that's what's happening," he said.

"You get fatigued very quickly and you get overcome and that's when people get into tragic circumstances."

Martin Barber
BBC News

Ian English, from Flitwick in Bedfordshire is in Cromer for the week with his family.

He found some old postcards of Cromer and his mission is to take photographs of the same locations as they are today.

"I've been coming here for last 15-20 years... love the beach and surrounding area and you can’t not like the crabbing boats when they are coming in.

"We’re so impressed with the cafes and shops in the way they are looking after post-lockdown visitors."

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

Image source, Laurence Cawley/BBC

I’ve arrived at Clacton’s seafront.

The car's thermometer tells me the temperature is already 25C (77F).

There’s a haze in the sky, which is currently hiding the horizon, but the heat is already rising.

Orla Moore
BBC News

Nick Ayers, an RNLI water safety officer, says the rescue service's biggest concern is the increasing use of inflatables at sea.

"Just don't do it - don't take them in the water at all," he said.

Image source, PA Media

"We have interlocking sand bars where people can easily get cut off from the mainland and panic - or try to walk back or swim. They underestimate the sheer speed of the moving tide, especially at places like Ness Point in Suffolk."

Ness Point in Lowestoft is the UK's most easterly point.

Today our reporters are going to be mainly based in two coastal resorts 100 miles apart in the East of England: Cromer in Norfolk and Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

Both towns are known for their Victorian piers, with Clacton's (360m or 1,180ft) stretching more than twice the length of Cromer's (151m or 495ft).

And both are blessed with extensive sandy beaches that attract thousands of visitors every year.

Clacton has a population of almost 57,000 - and Cromer has almost 7,700 residents.

Image source, RNLI

The RNLI has issued specific advice for anyone who gets into trouble in water.

The Float to Live campaign and video, external demonstrates how to stay afloat and keep calm - to give the emergency services time to get to you.

Nick Ayers, the RNLI's water safety lead for the east, said: "When the weather gets warm, the sea is still very cold - and it's designed to help people cope with that shock response.

"Lying on your back and calming your breathing will buy you time.

"We've had rescues where people have used the technique successfully."

Ravi, 10, from Leeds spoke to BBC Newsround about how he used the technique after getting into difficulties in the sea off Scarborough:

Martin Barber
BBC News

Tracey Cornwell, who moved to Cromer from Suffolk six years ago, was taking a breakfast time walk with her fox terrier Grady and has concerns about litter.

"It’s so peaceful at this time of the day - you just can’t beat it. It’s glorious," she said.

"It’s good to see people are visiting - but please take your rubbish home."

As well as the 15 RNLI lifeboat stations between Hunstanton and Southend, there are five independent volunteer teams keeping people safe:

• Caister Lifeboat, external
• Mundesley Volunteer Inshore Lifeboat, external
• Sea Palling Volunteer Rescue, external
• Felixstowe Coast Patrol, external
• Hemsby Inshore Rescue, external

Image source, Hemsby Inshore Lifeboat

Orla Moore
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

No mention of Cromer and its RNLI legacy is complete without a nod to Henry Blogg, the town's most famous son of the sea.

Blogg is the most decorated lifeboatman, external in RNLI history, serving Cromer's lifeboats for 53 years.

Image source, RNLI

He was awarded many honours, including three Gold and four Silver Medals from the RNLI, the George Cross for general war service - and a British Empire Medal.

He is credited with taking part in 387 rescues and saving 873 lives in the North Sea, before retiring in 1947.

A museum was founded in his honour in Cromer and he is commemorated with a bronze bust on the cliff top.

Orla Moore
BBC News

There are 15 RNLI lifeboat stations serving the East of England coast, stretching from Hunstanton in west Norfolk to Southend in Essex.

Norfolk:

• Hunstanton
• Wells-next-the-Sea
• Sheringham
• Cromer
• Happisburgh
• Great Yarmouth and Gorleston

Suffolk:

• Lowestoft
• Southwold
• Aldeburgh

Essex:

• Harwich
• Walton and Frinton
• Clacton
• West Mersea
• Burnham on Crouch
• Southend

HM Coastguard dealt with 340 incidents across the whole of the UK on Saturday - that's the highest number of call-outs in a single day for more than four years.

Coastguard rescue teams attended 221 incidents, with RNLI and independent lifeboats called out 155 times.

Image source, RNLI

It also represents a 145% increase on August 2019, the service said, and surpasses the most recent busiest day - 31 July - which recorded 329 incidents.

The coastguard took 186 emergency calls on Sunday, responding to people cut off by tides and children swept out to sea on inflatables.

HM Coastguard deputy head of coastal operations, Richard Hackwell, said: "Check and double check tide times as even the most experienced swimmer or keen watersports enthusiast can get caught out by currents and tides.

"We’ll always respond when someone calls 999 but help us to help you by not making choices which could put yourself and others at risk.

"Every time our front-line teams respond – as they always do and always will – please don't forget that they're also put at risk too.

"We don’t want you to remember your day-out for all the wrong reasons."

Yesterday, a woman was rescued from the sea off Anglesey in north Wales.

Two bodies have been found after an empty dinghy was reported off the Sussex coast on Monday.