From BBC

Huge waves have battered the southern coast of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding.

Waves of up to 27ft (8m) were recorded off Land’s End, Cornwall.

The environment secretary said seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England due to storms and flooding in December and January.

There are currently three severe flood warnings in place in England and travel by road and rail is being hit.

In Aberystwyth, 250 people have been evacuated from seafront flats.

‘Lethal’ waves

Western and southern areas are bearing the brunt of the latest severe weather, and forecasters are warning that flooding could be worse than that seen in recent days.

BBC Weather’s Chris Fawkes warns of hail and thunder mixed with the heaviest downpours

The Environment Agency has warned communities in Dorset, Oxfordshire, south Wiltshire, Hampshire and along the Thames to “remain prepared” for more flooding on Monday and the rest of the week.

BBC forecaster John Hammond said exposed places around southern and western coasts were expected to see “colossal waves”, adding they will be “absolutely lethal if you get in the way of them”.

Around the UK:

The search for Harry Martin, 18, missing since going out to take pictures of stormy seas in Devon, is continuing for a fourth day

A woman and her dog stranded on the Somerset Levels, a coastal plain, for 13 days have been rescued by boat

A West Sussex beach has been cordoned off after strong tides damaged recently completed sea defences

Police have issued a flood warning for parts of Belfast and the Ards peninsula

The Thames Barrier was due to close at 15:00 GMT for the ninth tide in a row. It is expected to be reopen at 19:30 GMT.

The harbour master at Newquay, Cornwall, said so much sand has been lost from the harbour that it has exposed a boat wreck never seen before. Cornwall Council says the storm has caused £1.5m of damage so far

David and Tracey Bradley have been using a canoe to get out of their village

The Met Office warned gusts could reach up to 70mph on Britain’s west coast and the east coast of Northern Ireland.

It said the huge waves were caused by a large, deep depression in the Atlantic which was “whipping waves up” out at sea – and these were hitting the coast as a “large swell”.

People watch and photograph enormous waves as they break on Porthcawl harbour, South Wales The south and west coasts would see “colossal waves” like these at Porthcawl, near Bridgend, say forecasters

Waves crash onto the promenade at Blackpool as high tides and huge waves hit the west coast of the UK Waves crashed onto the promenade in Blackpool

A house in the village of Bury is surrounded by flood water from the River Arun Some parts of England – including Bury in West Sussex – are already under water, with more flooding expected

Anne-Marie Simpson said she was “keen to get away” after 13 days surrounded by floodwater One woman was rescued after 13 days surrounded by floodwater on the Somerset Levels

Pic Although high tide has passed in Boscastle, Cornwall, the sea remains rough

A motorist steers his vehicle along a flooded road in the village of Buscot Wick, near Oxford, Drivers in many parts of the UK, including the village of Buscot Wick, near Oxford, have had to take extra precautions

Wave heights of 7-10m in parts of western Scotland, Wales and south-west England, and 3-7m in much of the English Channel and Irish Sea, could be generated, said the Met Office.

“The public should be aware of the dangers of waves crashing onshore and over-topping shore lines and sea fronts,” it said.

Continue reading the main story

‘Island of 200’

Andrew Plant BBC News, Somerset

Muchelney is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Its records go back hundreds of years.

Only once – last year – has it ever been this badly affected. It is cut off by flooding on all sides.

The island of reclaimed land – a tiny bump in the flat Somerset levels – is home to 200.

David and Tracey Bradley are using their canoe to make the mile-long paddle from their house to Huish Episcopi where they can pick up supplies.

They say they have been unable to drive in or out since Friday.

The village pulls together when it gets cut off – but people are beginning to run out of fresh food.

It will take two weeks for the water to clear, they say. Unless it rains more.

There are currently three severe flood warning for parts of Dorset – indicating danger to life and property – for the Lower Stour, Chiswell, on the Isle of Portland and Weymouth.

There are also about 100 other flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required -in place in England and Wales.

About 220 flood alerts – meaning “flooding is possible, be prepared” – are also in place.

In Scotland, 17 flood warnings are in place, along with a further 15 flood alerts. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning of winds for Northern Ireland.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson chaired a Cobra emergency meeting to ensure agencies are ready to respond, and made a statement to the Commons on the impact of the bad weather.

Mr Paterson told MPs there was “a risk of groundwater flooding in Dorset and Wiltshire for some time to come and we need to remain vigilant”.

“Approximately 1,700 properties have been flooded in England so far, with Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset particularly affected, although there were also impacts in the Midlands and the North West,” he said.

There had also been flooding in Northern Ireland and Scotland and 140 properties in Wales flooded, he said.

Mr Paterson said the country’s electricity network operators deserved credit for reconnecting “unprecedented” number of people cut-off, but added there were “lessons to be learned about how customers are supported and informed during power cuts”.

He again defended spending on flood defences, following criticism over the weekend, saying the government was spending “more than ever before”.

Rebecca Davies, pro vice-chancellor of Aberystwyth University, said about 150 students in seafront accommodation had been moved to another campus and a further 100 in private homes have also left.

Exams scheduled for this week have been postponed until next week, she said, and students who have not yet returned to the university are being urged to stay away until the middle of the week.

The village of Muchelney, on the Somerset Levels, has been cut off for about four days.

Residents David and Tracey Bradley said they were making daily trips in their canoe to fetch essential supplies.

“It’s pretty desolate really, especially for the elderly and the children,” said Mrs Bradley.

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