Storm Imogen: Huge Waves Batter British Coast As 100mph Winds Pound South Of England And Wales | HuffPost

These Huge Waves Show The Sheer Force Of Mother Nature

Kathryn Snowdon— The Huffington Post UK

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Huge waves measuring up to 19.1m (63ft) pounded seaside towns across the UK on Monday as Storm Imogen brought gusts of nearly 100mph.

Sections of the British coastline were hit by gale force winds and torrential downpours as the Environment Agency issued 62 flood warnings requiring immediate action for parts of the south west, south east and Wales.

There are a further 204 alerts in place where flooding is possible. The Met Office issued amber warnings for much of the south west and there is a yellow warning of gusts throughout Monday stretching from southern Wales to the Thames Estuary.

More than 15,000 homes have been left without power, while rail services and cross-Channel ferries were disrupted or cancelled.

Two children were airlifted to hospital on Monday morning after a garden wall collapsed on them in the Worcestershire village of Bretforton near Evesham. The boy and girl, aged five and seven, suffered serious leg injuries and were flown to hospital for treatment, the Press Association reports.

A father and daughter near Exeter in Devon also reportedly had a lucky escape when a 100ft (30.5m) tree was blown onto their car parked outside their house, minutes before they were about to leave to travel to school.

There is also a search underway for an RSPCA inspector who went missing after responding to a call to help rescue dozens of gannets stranded on rocks at a Cornish beach.

Inspector Mike Reid went missing after travelling out to Porthchapel Beach near Penzance on Sunday.

Travel has been severely disrupted across parts of the country, with road closures and delays to rail services.

The EA's Jonathan Day warned: "Storm Imogen will lead to large waves and spray along the south and south-west coastal parts of England on Sunday night and Monday. We understand it is tempting to see the force of Mother Nature but people should take extreme care on coastal paths and not put themselves and rescue workers at risk."

Storm Imogen

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Waves crash over the sea wall at Porthcawl in Wales as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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Brighton seafront takes a battering. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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A woman leans into the wind on the beach in Brighton. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse take a battering. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Bruno, a bearded collie cross, walks in the wind in Newquay in Cornwall, England. (credit:Matt Cardy via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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A lorry trailer that has been blown over in the wind is seen in Newquay. (credit:Matt Cardy via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Waves crash over the Longships Lighthouse just off Land's End. (credit:Matt Cardy via Getty Images)

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A man looks on as a wave hits the beach. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)

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Waves hit the shore in Newhaven. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)

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Waves hit the shore on February In East Sussex. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)

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A jogger is as she braves the stormy seafront at Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:ben Mitchell/PA Wire)

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Gales force wind almost blows visitors off their feet at Portland Bill, near Southwell in Dorset, as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours, (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Newhaven Harbour wall and lighthouse. (credit:Mike Hewitt via Getty Images)

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Bruno, a bearded collie cross, walks in the wind in Newquay. (credit:Matt Cardy via Getty Images)

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A group of youngsters struggle to find balance at Brighton Pier as Storm Imogen batters the south of Britain with winds of nearly 100mph. (credit: Isabel Infantes )

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A group of youngsters struggle to find balance at Brighton Pier as Storm Imogen batters the south of Britain with winds of nearly 100mph. (credit: Isabel Infantes )

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Waves crash onto the shoreline at Portland Bill, near Southwell in Dorset, as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours, (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

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Waves crash onto the shoreline at Portland Bill. (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

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Waves crash on Southsea seafront, Portsmouth, Hampshire as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:ben Mitchell/PA Wire)

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Youngsters struggle to find balance at Brighton Pier. (credit: Isabel Infantes )

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A couple get a close look at the waves crashing the harbour wall in Brighton as Storm Imogen slams the south with gales and torrential rain. (credit: Isabel Infantes )

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Storm Imogen whips the sea into a writhing foam at Cryode in North Devon. (credit:Rosie Kelsey / SWNS.com)

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People struggle with the wind in Brighton as Storm Imogen slams the south with gales and torrential rain.. (credit: Isabel Infantes )

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Storm Imogen whips the sea into a writhing foam at Cryode in North Devon. (credit:Offshore Croyde / SWNS.com)

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Storm Imogen has whipped up the surf at Watergate Bay, Cornwall and like a giant washing machine created a mass of white foam covering the entire beach. (credit:Neil Hope / SWNS.com)

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When taking a photo of storm Imogen seemed a good idea at the time. (credit:Graham Mitchell / Splash News)

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Waves crash against the lighthouse on the harbour arm in Dover, Kent, as storm Imogen sweeps across the southern regions of the country. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

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A DFDS Ferry is battered by waves as she arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent as storm Imogen sweeps across the southern regions of the country. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

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An overturned lorry on the M4 between Bridgend and Port Talbot as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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Recovery vehicles work to right an overturned lorry on the M4 between Bridgend and Port Talbot as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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A windswept Hastings in East Sussex, as Britain was lashed by hurricane-force winds that reached nearly 100mph as Storm Imogen battered southern parts of the country and left commuters braced for havoc on the transport networks. (credit:Tom Pugh/PA Wire)

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The P&O Pride of Burgundy is battered by waves as she arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent as storm Imogen sweeps across the southern regions of the country. (credit:Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

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Waves crash over the sea wall at Porthcawl in Wales as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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A man watches the waves crash against the harbour wall in Lyme Regis, Dorset as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours, (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

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Waves crash against the harbour wall in Lyme Regis, Dorset as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours, (credit:Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

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Waves crash over the sea wall at Porthcawl in Wales as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours, (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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Waves crash over the sea wall at Porthcawl in Wales as winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain after Storm Imogen slammed into the south coast bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours. (credit:Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

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