Stormy conditions turn sea pink

High winds and big waves have turned the sea pink in Somerset.

Storm Pierrick has pummelled the South West this week with winds, reaching 65mph (104 km/h), and torrential rain.

At Dunster Beach, the crashing waves were turned a vibrant pink colour as the storm hit.

The Environment Agency (EA), said it had been caused by sediment from the area's red mudstone cliffs "being churned up".

The EA said the combination of high tides and gale force winds from Storm Pierrick had caused "potentially record high tides across the south coast".

A spokesman for the agency said of the colour: "This is simply sediment from the red mudstone cliffs in the area that is being churned up by the high energy waves that the recent weather has generated.

"The intense energy has mobilised a lot of additional sediment that is normally settled out on the seabed, rather than held in suspension."

BBC Weather Watcher Liz Elmont, who captured the dramatic images, said she has seen the sea at Dunster "pretty discoloured" but not quite as red as this.

"It's the mud round here," she said.

"I couldn't get over the colour of the earth in Somerset when I first moved here."

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