The wind turbine that couldn't cope with a gale: £250,000 tower crashes to the ground after its blades spin out of control

v
y conditions. But this 115ft wind turbine crashed to the ground after being forced over in high winds.
The £250,000 tower was left a ‘mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades’, say witnesses, after apparently struggling to stand up to 50mph gusts.
Experts believe the winds were so strong the blades span out of control causing the massive structure to catch fire and collapse. It was supposed to have a life expectancy of 25 years – but has lasted just three.

Smash: A 115ft wind turbine was blown down at East Ash Farm in Devon near Holsworthy

 

 

'Mangled wreck': The gale-force wind made the blades spin out of control and the turbine caught on fire

 

What a waste: The controversial structure was only erected in 2010, at a cost of £250,000

 

Investigating: The firm that built the turbine no one was put at risk because of its isolated position

 

Pushing on: The farm's owners have recently been granted permission to erect a second turbine

Renewable energy company Dulas installed the Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, Devon, despite protests from villagers who said it would be noisy and spoil the view.

 

Councillor Keith Tomlin said: 'We are relieved that no one was injured, but had this happened in daytime there was a chance of serious injury to workers on the farm where it was located or to the public on the road nearby.
'Of greater concern is that Torridge District Council have recently approved the erection of a second turbine of the same size and manufacture at this location that would have been closer to the public road.'
The Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW device was the first model of its kind to be erected in the UK.

 

Red alert! A Royal Mail driver's lorry veered off the road into a ditch near Broadmayne in Dorset on the A353

THE WRONG KIND OF WINDFALL

Three turbines were wrecked earlier this month in the last bout of rough weather, while a 300ft turbine in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, erupted in flames in December during gales of 165mph.
It was said to have been switched off, but had a ‘brake system failure’.
The accidents have swept away any remaining illusions that strong winds simply mean more electricity being generated.
The turbines damaged last month stood within a mile of one another in the countryside around Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
One in the village of Upper Cumberworth lost one of its three blades, and another in the same village lost two. A third, in nearby Hepworth, lost all three, with debris blown across a road into a neighbouring property.
Wind farms in Scotland were paid nearly £300,000 in the first five days of this year to close down because it was too windy.
The controversial ‘constraint payments’ were made after they produced more energy than the National Grid could handle.
Last year 17 wind farm operators were paid £7million to shut down on 40 occasions between January and September.
Up to 32,000 wind turbines could be built in England and Wales over the next 40 years to meet government targets.

A spokesman for the Welsh firm said the Canadian-built generator has a five-year warranty and no-one had been injured when it fell on private land.
He said: 'Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK and they are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root cause analysis investigation.'
Bob Barfoot, North Devon chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said it had been turned into a 'mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades'.
He added: 'The blades would have rotated beyond the allowable maximum speed and destroyed the whole turbine.'

Meanwhile, Britain woke up to more showers and gales today after a stormy night on which hurricane-force winds hit the UK.
Gusts of 75-85mph were recorded across the Northern Isles, Western Isles and North-West Scotland, with fierce winds of more than 100mph tearing across many parts of the Highlands.
Highs of 110mph were recorded in Inverness, 105mph in Gramping and 135mph at Cairngorm. The Met Office warned the gusts could lead to bridges being closed and other travel problems.
A 64-year-old man was knocked unconscious in Oldham, Greater Manchester, when a tree was uprooted by gale-force winds and fell on him as he walked by.
Emergency services said the walker was 'lucky to be alive' after he was trapped under the 20ft tree.
Luckily, crews from the fire station were just metres away and rushed to his aid, pulling him out from underneath.

 

Sunset: Becky Vincent, 18, enjoys a blustery walk with her dog Dobby on Bournemouth beach today

 

Sunshine: It was a bright day in the South despite the strong winds and chilly temperatures

 

Dog's life: But the storms, squalls and flooding chaos are far from over, forecasters warn

The incident happened at around 1pm today opposite Chadderton Fire Station in Greater Manchester after winds of up to 65mph battered the area, knocking down several trees.
Firefighter Tony Field said: 'A bloke who was in his 60s was walking along on the pavement when a huge gust of wind uprooted the tree and fell on him.
'He is very lucky to be alive and fortunate that he was not seriously hurt, but unlucky in the fact that he was walking past at that precise moment.
'We were out at a school doing a fire safety course with the kids when we got the call saying "man trapped under tree". We were only around the corner so we got there within minutes.
'When we got there he was conscious and he was being given first aid by a trauma technician from our station across the road who assisted until the ambulance arrived.

 

Close call: A 64-year-old in Oldham was knocked unconscious by a tree after gale force winds knocked it down

 

Shock: The man suffered head injuries after the tree fell on him. Luckily, he was just opposite a fire station

 

Hospitalised: Firefighters said he was 'lucky to be alive' after 65mph winds dragged the tree from its roots

'We are not exactly sure but we think he was briefly knocked unconscious by the tree which was about 15 or 20ft tall.
'He managed to walk to the ambulance and had a bandage around his head, but there wasn't any blood.'
Ian Lacey, manager of nearby business Highbarn Motorcycles, said: 'I heard a huge crack and looked out and saw the tree on the pavement. At first I didn't know that someone had been hit but then I saw him sat up on the pavement.
'A couple of cars pulled over to help but the tree didn't fall info the road so it didn't stop traffic.
'It was an almighty thud when the tree came down. The wind has been ferocious and been battering the shop all day.

 

 

 

Barking: A 70ft tree that fell down in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, is lifted out by crane

 

 

Uprooted: The tree crashed through a fence into a neighbouring garden, but luckily only caused minor damage

 

 

Big job: Police and firefighters checked out the risks before attaching the tree to chains and hoisting it out

Out of the woods: The retired homeowners escaped unharmed despite some guttering being torn off

'From what I can gather he was just walking along and it has landed on him. What looked like a paramedic seemed to be helping him. He looked dazed but he was talking.
'How much of the tree actually hit him I don't know, but he definitely had a head injury. He was sat up and talking.'
A 70ft tree in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, fell through a fence and had to be lifted out by crane.
Luckily, only minor damage was caused to the Solihull property, with only some guttering torn down.
Its retired owners, who escaped uninjured, called the police after hearing the huge tree fall down in the wind.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene at around 4pm, checked the tree did not pose a hazard to the public and lifted it out by crane.
In Dorset, millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea following a series of landslides at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis.
Some 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, have been damaged or have slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud and earth slipped down the cliff following heavy rain.
Because the cliff is continually moving it is now feared the buildings will be written off.
But the extreme weather is not over, with gale-force winds and heavy showers expected today and tomorrow and flood warnings out for Friday.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain in the south of England and much of Scotland.
Devon and South Wales can expect 'localised flooding and disruption to travel', according to forecasters.

 

Landslide: Millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea in Dorset

 

Costly problem: A series of landslides have damaged the seaside homes at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis

 

End of the road? The 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud slipped down the cliff following heavy rain

Beleaguered Britons continue to suffer from the effects of last week's Big Freeze, with torrential rain plus the Big Thaw causing flooding in low-lying areas.
A shocked driver had a nasty surprise on their morning commute today when a waterlogged road gave way beneath their car.
The terrified motorist's Volkswagen Polo crashed through the tarmac in a rainy Manchester after the ground crumbled following overnight flooding.
Villager in Holywell, Cambridgeshire, were stranded today after the main road flooded during a stormy night.
The River Great Ouse burst its banks overnight as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph lashed the area.

 

The road, which is flooded with more than 4ft of water in some places, is villagers' only way in and out.
The Environment Agency says nearly 50 properties across England and Wales have flooded since Saturday.

 

Crash: Waves pound the coast in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland, as high winds batter the country

 

Eye of the storm: Deborah McLaughlan, from Dalry, steels herself against the freezing spray in Saltcoats

 

 

 

Fierce: Gusts in Scotland reached hurricane force last night, with 135mph the fastest recorded

Dramatic: Scotland will see more extreme conditions over the days to come, with hail and thunder forecast

There are currently 47 flood warnings and 169 flood alerts in place, although this is predicted to increase.
Although the weather has brightened up and temperatures remain mild at around 10-11C, forecasters expect hail, thunderstorms and snow showers to come.
Early rain will clear from eastern England today to leave most of the UK with spells of sunshine and downpours, which will be heaviest and most frequent in the West with the chance of hail and thunder.

 

A Met office spokesman said: 'A band of squally rain will push across the country this evening - with about 5-10mm falling overnight - and some thunder, hail and turbulent weather, especially in hilly areas.

Bad day for a stroll: Strong winds and a high tide on Blackpool's Central Prom

'There will be snow showers in Scotland going into Friday, with 20-30mm of rainfall.'
Saturday will be bright with cold weather and more snow showers in the north, which will move down the east coast as far as East Anglia. Sunday will be warmer, but with heavy rain.

Two men died after falling into the stormy sea off Torquay, Devon, over the last two days.
A member of Torbay lifeboat crew jumped into the chilly water at the harbour last night and pulled a man ashore, but he died despite resuscitation attempts
RNLI spokesman Colin Bower said weather conditions were extremely poor, with heavy seas whipped up by gale-force winds of around 70mph.
The man has not been named but Devon and Cornwall Police said his next of kin had been informed.

 

A combination of sunshine and showers hits the UK, with a bright Saturday giving way to a wet Sunday

 

 

Warning: Strong winds today may cause travel chaos while Friday will bring heavy rain and floods

Just 24 hours earlier, the body of a fisherman was found by rescuers searching for a boat that had gone missing off Torquay.
Rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and two Royal Navy vessels were involved in the search in gale-force winds.
Jeremy Linn from Brixham Coastguard said: 'He had been fishing for the afternoon and was coming home with a catch on board, which means he obviously had quite a lot of weight in the boat.
'It was not good weather - it was very windy, we'd had lots of rain and the sea state was rough - so it's a strong possibility that the boat was swamped in some way and sank.'
Torbay lifeboat Coxswain Mark Criddle said: 'It's very sad that two young men have lost their lives in this way.'
A Royal Mail lorry veered off a rural road near Broadmayne in Dorset yesterday and toppled into a ditch.
The vehicle is thought to have been hit by strong gusts of 35 miles per hour and blown over.
Ambulance crews raced to the scene to assist the 53-year-old male driver, but he escaped with no injuries.

Trapped indoors: The main road in the village of Holywell, Cambs, today after overnight flooding

 

Stranded: Heavy rain in the Cambridgeshire village caused the River Great Ouse to burst its banks

 

Soaked: The downpours and winds of up to 80mph left the road under more than 4ft of water

Police attended the incident on the A353 and closed the road as the lorry was towed away by a rescue company.

 

Charles Powell, forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'By midday, wind speeds were reaching up to 35 miles per hour and were in a south westerly direction.
'Gusts can reach roads at a perpendicular angle to the way the traffic travels, a high gusts can hit vehicles like lorries with impact and cause them to topple over.'
A homeowner had a lucky escape when a powerful gust of wind blew a skylight window out of her roof and sent it crashing down on her car.
The heavy 3ft x 2ft frame and glass flew over the house and landed on owner Katie Gregory's car three floors below.
It caused around £1,000 of damage to the wing and windscreen of her Citroen Picasso, but luckily no-one was injured.
Ms Gregory, 33, had opened the roof window slightly on Sunday to let some air into the attic bedroom of her terraced house in Dudley, West Mids.
The mother-of-two said: 'I was in the back of the house when I heard screaming round the front.
'I could see glass absolutely everywhere and looked out and saw my car was damaged.
'I thought something had fallen off a lorry going past and then saw the window and realised it was my skylight.

Bubbles: High winds cause sea foam to fly across the path of motorists in Cleveleys, Lancashire

 

Washout: A man in a hi-vis jacket looks out at the gathering clouds as the sea churns around his feet

The £250,000 tower was left a ‘mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades’, say witnesses, after apparently struggling to stand up to 50mph gusts.
Experts believe the winds were so strong the blades span out of control causing the massive structure to catch fire and collapse. It was supposed to have a life expectancy of 25 years – but has lasted just three.

Smash: A 115ft wind turbine was blown down at East Ash Farm in Devon near Holsworthy

 

 

'Mangled wreck': The gale-force wind made the blades spin out of control and the turbine caught on fire

 

What a waste: The controversial structure was only erected in 2010, at a cost of £250,000

 

Investigating: The firm that built the turbine no one was put at risk because of its isolated position

 

Pushing on: The farm's owners have recently been granted permission to erect a second turbine

Renewable energy company Dulas installed the Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW turbine at East Ash Farm in Bradworthy, Devon, despite protests from villagers who said it would be noisy and spoil the view.

 

• 
  

Councillor Keith Tomlin said: 'We are relieved that no one was injured, but had this happened in daytime there was a chance of serious injury to workers on the farm where it was located or to the public on the road nearby.
'Of greater concern is that Torridge District Council have recently approved the erection of a second turbine of the same size and manufacture at this location that would have been closer to the public road.'
The Endurance Wind Power E-3120 50kW device was the first model of its kind to be erected in the UK.

 

Red alert! A Royal Mail driver's lorry veered off the road into a ditch near Broadmayne in Dorset on the A353

THE WRONG KIND OF WINDFALL

Three turbines were wrecked earlier this month in the last bout of rough weather, while a 300ft turbine in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, erupted in flames in December during gales of 165mph.
It was said to have been switched off, but had a ‘brake system failure’.
The accidents have swept away any remaining illusions that strong winds simply mean more electricity being generated.
The turbines damaged last month stood within a mile of one another in the countryside around Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
One in the village of Upper Cumberworth lost one of its three blades, and another in the same village lost two. A third, in nearby Hepworth, lost all three, with debris blown across a road into a neighbouring property.
Wind farms in Scotland were paid nearly £300,000 in the first five days of this year to close down because it was too windy.
The controversial ‘constraint payments’ were made after they produced more energy than the National Grid could handle.
Last year 17 wind farm operators were paid £7million to shut down on 40 occasions between January and September.
Up to 32,000 wind turbines could be built in England and Wales over the next 40 years to meet government targets.

A spokesman for the Welsh firm said the Canadian-built generator has a five-year warranty and no-one had been injured when it fell on private land.
He said: 'Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK and they are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root cause analysis investigation.'
Bob Barfoot, North Devon chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), said it had been turned into a 'mangled, blackened wreck with melted blades'.
He added: 'The blades would have rotated beyond the allowable maximum speed and destroyed the whole turbine.'

Meanwhile, Britain woke up to more showers and gales today after a stormy night on which hurricane-force winds hit the UK.
Gusts of 75-85mph were recorded across the Northern Isles, Western Isles and North-West Scotland, with fierce winds of more than 100mph tearing across many parts of the Highlands.
Highs of 110mph were recorded in Inverness, 105mph in Gramping and 135mph at Cairngorm. The Met Office warned the gusts could lead to bridges being closed and other travel problems.
A 64-year-old man was knocked unconscious in Oldham, Greater Manchester, when a tree was uprooted by gale-force winds and fell on him as he walked by.
Emergency services said the walker was 'lucky to be alive' after he was trapped under the 20ft tree.
Luckily, crews from the fire station were just metres away and rushed to his aid, pulling him out from underneath.

 

Sunset: Becky Vincent, 18, enjoys a blustery walk with her dog Dobby on Bournemouth beach today

 

Sunshine: It was a bright day in the South despite the strong winds and chilly temperatures

 

Dog's life: But the storms, squalls and flooding chaos are far from over, forecasters warn

The incident happened at around 1pm today opposite Chadderton Fire Station in Greater Manchester after winds of up to 65mph battered the area, knocking down several trees.
Firefighter Tony Field said: 'A bloke who was in his 60s was walking along on the pavement when a huge gust of wind uprooted the tree and fell on him.
'He is very lucky to be alive and fortunate that he was not seriously hurt, but unlucky in the fact that he was walking past at that precise moment.
'We were out at a school doing a fire safety course with the kids when we got the call saying "man trapped under tree". We were only around the corner so we got there within minutes.
'When we got there he was conscious and he was being given first aid by a trauma technician from our station across the road who assisted until the ambulance arrived.

 

Close call: A 64-year-old in Oldham was knocked unconscious by a tree after gale force winds knocked it down

 

Shock: The man suffered head injuries after the tree fell on him. Luckily, he was just opposite a fire station

 

Hospitalised: Firefighters said he was 'lucky to be alive' after 65mph winds dragged the tree from its roots

'We are not exactly sure but we think he was briefly knocked unconscious by the tree which was about 15 or 20ft tall.
'He managed to walk to the ambulance and had a bandage around his head, but there wasn't any blood.'
Ian Lacey, manager of nearby business Highbarn Motorcycles, said: 'I heard a huge crack and looked out and saw the tree on the pavement. At first I didn't know that someone had been hit but then I saw him sat up on the pavement.
'A couple of cars pulled over to help but the tree didn't fall info the road so it didn't stop traffic.
'It was an almighty thud when the tree came down. The wind has been ferocious and been battering the shop all day.

 

 

 

Barking: A 70ft tree that fell down in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, is lifted out by crane

 

 

Uprooted: The tree crashed through a fence into a neighbouring garden, but luckily only caused minor damage

 

 

Big job: Police and firefighters checked out the risks before attaching the tree to chains and hoisting it out

Out of the woods: The retired homeowners escaped unharmed despite some guttering being torn off

'From what I can gather he was just walking along and it has landed on him. What looked like a paramedic seemed to be helping him. He looked dazed but he was talking.
'How much of the tree actually hit him I don't know, but he definitely had a head injury. He was sat up and talking.'
A 70ft tree in the back garden of a house in Shirley, West Midlands, fell through a fence and had to be lifted out by crane.
Luckily, only minor damage was caused to the Solihull property, with only some guttering torn down.
Its retired owners, who escaped uninjured, called the police after hearing the huge tree fall down in the wind.
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene at around 4pm, checked the tree did not pose a hazard to the public and lifted it out by crane.
In Dorset, millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea following a series of landslides at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis.
Some 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, have been damaged or have slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud and earth slipped down the cliff following heavy rain.
Because the cliff is continually moving it is now feared the buildings will be written off.
But the extreme weather is not over, with gale-force winds and heavy showers expected today and tomorrow and flood warnings out for Friday.
The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain in the south of England and much of Scotland.
Devon and South Wales can expect 'localised flooding and disruption to travel', according to forecasters.

 

Landslide: Millions of pounds-worth of luxury holiday chalets face being condemned to the sea in Dorset

 

Costly problem: A series of landslides have damaged the seaside homes at Monmouth Beach near Lyme Regis

 

End of the road? The 18 wooden chalets, which cost £200,000 each, slumped towards the sea after 500 tons of mud slipped down the cliff following heavy rain

Beleaguered Britons continue to suffer from the effects of last week's Big Freeze, with torrential rain plus the Big Thaw causing flooding in low-lying areas.
A shocked driver had a nasty surprise on their morning commute today when a waterlogged road gave way beneath their car.
The terrified motorist's Volkswagen Polo crashed through the tarmac in a rainy Manchester after the ground crumbled following overnight flooding.
Villager in Holywell, Cambridgeshire, were stranded today after the main road flooded during a stormy night.
The River Great Ouse burst its banks overnight as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph lashed the area.

 

The road, which is flooded with more than 4ft of water in some places, is villagers' only way in and out.

 

Crash: Waves pound the coast in Saltcoats, Ayrshire, Scotland, as high winds batter the country

 

Eye of the storm: Deborah McLaughlan, from Dalry, steels herself against the freezing spray in Saltcoats

 

 

 

Fierce: Gusts in Scotland reached hurricane force last night, with 135mph the fastest recorded

Dramatic: Scotland will see more extreme conditions over the days to come, with hail and thunder forecast

There are currently 47 flood warnings and 169 flood alerts in place, although this is predicted to increase.
Although the weather has brightened up and temperatures remain mild at around 10-11C, forecasters expect hail, thunderstorms and snow showers to come.
Early rain will clear from eastern England today to leave most of the UK with spells of sunshine and downpours, which will be heaviest and most frequent in the West with the chance of hail and thunder.

 

A Met office spokesman said: 'A band of squally rain will push across the country this evening - with about 5-10mm falling overnight - and some thunder, hail and turbulent weather, especially in hilly areas.

Bad day for a stroll: Strong winds and a high tide on Blackpool's Central Prom

'There will be snow showers in Scotland going into Friday, with 20-30mm of rainfall.'
Saturday will be bright with cold weather and more snow showers in the north, which will move down the east coast as far as East Anglia. Sunday will be warmer, but with heavy rain.

Two men died after falling into the stormy sea off Torquay, Devon, over the last two days.
A member of Torbay lifeboat crew jumped into the chilly water at the harbour last night and pulled a man ashore, but he died despite resuscitation attempts
RNLI spokesman Colin Bower said weather conditions were extremely poor, with heavy seas whipped up by gale-force winds of around 70mph.
The man has not been named but Devon and Cornwall Police said his next of kin had been informed.

 

A combination of sunshine and showers hits the UK, with a bright Saturday giving way to a wet Sunday

 

 

Warning: Strong winds today may cause travel chaos while Friday will bring heavy rain and floods

Just 24 hours earlier, the body of a fisherman was found by rescuers searching for a boat that had gone missing off Torquay.
Rescue helicopter, RNLI lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and two Royal Navy vessels were involved in the search in gale-force winds.
Jeremy Linn from Brixham Coastguard said: 'He had been fishing for the afternoon and was coming home with a catch on board, which means he obviously had quite a lot of weight in the boat.
'It was not good weather - it was very windy, we'd had lots of rain and the sea state was rough - so it's a strong possibility that the boat was swamped in some way and sank.'
Torbay lifeboat Coxswain Mark Criddle said: 'It's very sad that two young men have lost their lives in this way.'
A Royal Mail lorry veered off a rural road near Broadmayne in Dorset yesterday and toppled into a ditch.
The vehicle is thought to have been hit by strong gusts of 35 miles per hour and blown over.
Ambulance crews raced to the scene to assist the 53-year-old male driver, but he escaped with no injuries.

Trapped indoors: The main road in the village of Holywell, Cambs, today after overnight flooding

 

Stranded: Heavy rain in the Cambridgeshire village caused the River Great Ouse to burst its banks

 

Soaked: The downpours and winds of up to 80mph left the road under more than 4ft of water

Police attended the incident on the A353 and closed the road as the lorry was towed away by a rescue company.

 

Charles Powell, forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'By midday, wind speeds were reaching up to 35 miles per hour and were in a south westerly direction.
'Gusts can reach roads at a perpendicular angle to the way the traffic travels, a high gusts can hit vehicles like lorries with impact and cause them to topple over.'
A homeowner had a lucky escape when a powerful gust of wind blew a skylight window out of her roof and sent it crashing down on her car.
The heavy 3ft x 2ft frame and glass flew over the house and landed on owner Katie Gregory's car three floors below.
It caused around £1,000 of damage to the wing and windscreen of her Citroen Picasso, but luckily no-one was injured.
Ms Gregory, 33, had opened the roof window slightly on Sunday to let some air into the attic bedroom of her terraced house in Dudley, West Mids.
The mother-of-two said: 'I was in the back of the house when I heard screaming round the front.
'I could see glass absolutely everywhere and looked out and saw my car was damaged.
'I thought something had fallen off a lorry going past and then saw the window and realised it was my skylight.

Bubbles: High winds cause sea foam to fly across the path of motorists in Cleveleys, Lancashire

 

Washout: A man in a hi-vis jacket looks out at the gathering clouds as the sea churns around his feet