A search has been launched after fears were raised of a man swept away by huge waves on Blackpool’s seafront.
A member of the public raised the alarm late on Saturday evening after they looked down from the promenade between the seaside town’s Central and South piers and saw a man on the beach very close to the water.
The passer-by shouted a warning but then called the coastguard at 11.20pm when they could no longer see the man on the beach, which at the time was being buffeted by strong winds and large waves.
HM Coastguard launched an intensive search of the area overnight in “very rough” conditions and then at first light on Sunday, but no trace of anyone has been found.
A spokeswoman for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: “Rescue units involved in the search overnight included Lytham RNLI lifeboat, Lancashire Police, a Coastguard rescue helicopter and Coastguard rescue teams from both Lytham St Annes and Fleetwood.
“Conditions at sea overnight were described as very rough with strong winds.
“A further search began this morning at first light involving officers from Knott End, Fleetwood and Lytham St Annes coastguard rescue teams with nothing found.
“With parts of the UK set to be battered by winds up to gale-force strength this week, please keep well clear of the waves and don’t risk your life – keep a respectful distance.”
Named Storm Brendan by Irish weather service Met Éireann, the turbulent weather front has already started causing rough seas and heavy winds.
Some communities in Ireland have been warned of imminent extreme gale-force storms, with a red marine warning put in place across all Irish coastal waters and “status orange” being declared across large parts of western and southern Ireland.
Gusts of up to 80mph have been forecast, with the strongest gusts affecting coastal areas.
How will Storm Brendan affect the UK?
Several yellow weather warnings have been put in place by the Met Office, warning of severe winds over both Monday and Tuesday.
The intense gusts are expected to arrive on Monday morning across much of the west of the UK, as well as parts of eastern Scotland, with a yellow weather warning in force from 10am until midnight.
A yellow weather warning indicates expected delays for road, rail, and ferry travel, with some coastal communities affected by large waves and spray. Some power supplies may also be affected.
Another weather warning – also for wind – has been put in place for Tuesday, from 12pm to midnight, covering the entirety of England and Wales, again warning of travel disruption and possible damage.
Met Office chief meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said: “The UK and Ireland will turn increasingly windy on Monday, as Storm Brendan approaches, and there’ll also be some heavy rain.
“It’s going to be particularly windy across the western half of the UK, with gusts reaching 60-70 mph along Irish Sea coastlines, the west of Scotland and perhaps some English Channel coasts - maybe even 80 mph in a few exposed places. This is likely to cause some disruption to sea, road and air travel.
“As Storm Brendan moves eastwards, strong winds will also develop across eastern parts of the UK, particularly northeast Scotland where there is also a wind warning in place.”
“As well as strong winds, there will be large coastal waves in western areas, so bear this in mind before heading out in these regions.”