Weather warnings for Wales




Parts of Wales are set for a battering this weekend and HM Coastguard is asking people to take extra care on the coast.

Coastal wind speeds of up to 60mph are forecast to hit which means big seas and waves, plus heavy rainfall of up to 120mm is expected to add to the bad weather conditions.

An amber weather warning has been issued from Pembrokeshire to Gwent and inland, it’s predicted that the Brecon Beacons will have the worst of the wind and rain.

HM Coastguard’s Richard Furneaux, who is based at Tenby, said:
“We’re expecting very high winds and a lot of rain later today and throughout the weekend. 

“The waves will be very strong and the wave patterns are likely to be even more unpredictable than usual.

“It’s a perfect storm that can catch people out so we’re 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”.

Big waves and crashing seas can make dramatic photographs and the Coastguard has issued some top five safety tips for people planning to enjoy the outdoors this weekend.




Perfect Storm – Top 5 Safety Tips

Selfies; It’s not worth risking your life for ‘that selfie’.  Keep off groynes, piers, jetties and harbour walls. Big waves can knock you over in a flash. If you can feel the spray, you’re too close.

Wave Dodging; playing ‘dares’ with waves is dangerous in the best of weathers. Rocks and walls can be slippery, often there’s nothing to grab hold of if you’re caught off balance and rogue waves and strong currents can sweep you out to sea in seconds.

Doggie dont’s; do keep your canine friends close and on leads if you’re out on the cliffs or the coast. You never know when an ‘interesting’ 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.

Cliff crises; avoid a crisis on the cliffs by staying well away from the edges, especially in gusty 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.

Keep in touch; keep a note of tide times so you don’t get trapped and take a fully charged mobile (ideally with a location or ‘find me’ app) so you can call for help if things go wrong. 
Let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back. If you or anyone is in trouble on the coast, don’t delay calling for help. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.



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